wedding anniversary; everyone sick; crazy weather

Thursday was mine and Dan's twenty second wedding anniversary. We both had to work, and had planned on celebrating Friday and Saturday.

Well, Dan came down with a tummy bug on Wednesday, I got it at work late Thursday night, and Bill got it this morning. Yuck.

The weather was crazy yesterday anyway, so it was a good day to stay at home (for me - Dan worked, and Steven did some volunteering stuff at the school). First it was foggy and cloudy. Then it snowed. Then it sleeted. Then it rained. Then it got icy. Then we had a wind storm.

If I am going to be sick on my day off, that was a good day to be sick, and snooze in bed, and drink lots of hot tea.

Today Dan and I did go out for awhile. But we did not go to Frankenmuth as we had originally planned. Instead we spent a day in Ann Arbor. We went to Arborland Mall for a quick trip to the bookstore, then headed downtown. We went to that old institution, Treasure Mart, a resale shop. I saw a couple of old nice china serving pieces, but did not feel like paying the $6 a pop for them. We then went to Kerrytown, where we checked out the specialty food markets and bought some spices from the spice merchant. We ate lunch at the Thai restaurant (called Siam Cuisine) at Braun Court. The food was really really really good - and they brought out a huge platter for each person - a bowl of their lunch entree, a salad, thesewonderful noodles, and this really good fried rice - for something like $5.59. Unbelievable. I couldn't even eat everything. Then we went to Zingermans Deli where we bought a loaf of braided challah.

Then we went to Main Street, where we bought a lovely onyx bowl from Pakistan at Ten Thousand Villages, and did some other light shopping.

So we had a great afternoon, did not spend a whole lot of money, and were close to home in case the kids had an emergency.

There are much worse ways to celebrate an anniversary, even two days after the fact.

We might or might not go out to dinner - we will see how Bill is doing first.

Tags: Kerrytown, wedding anniversary, Siam Cuisine, Spice Merchant, Ten Thousand Villages

foggy morning foggy night

This morning we woke up to a freezing fog. It was coating all of the trees with a coating of ice.

The roads were fine, though, so Dan and I went about our days, both working.

Tonight I drove home in another thick fog, though it is not quite cold enough for it to freeze yet!

I got to talk to my dear friend John, who loved out to Vegas. He will be back in town tomorrow, and we hope to get together with a group of friends for lunch on Sunday. That will be lovely!

Tags: freezing fog, fog

peaceful Christmas

Yesterday was a lovely quiet day spent at home with Dan, Bill, and Steven.

It was glorious!

For dinner we had four cheese mashed potatoes, French cut green beans, cornbread, crescent rolls, macaroni & cheese (which I made with a full three pounds of Pinconning), and the pork. Dan sauteed some fresh garlic in olive oil and then added rosemary, thyme, oregano, and sage. he used that as marinade for the pork steaks (a full three inches thick and relatively unfatty).  I do not eat pork, but it even smelled good to me. The others ate it right up. We had very few leftovers, in fact.

We did watch Harry Potter V.

Dan got me this wonderful warm homemade suede and lambs wool hat.  I had wondered why he had asked a couple of weeks ago to borrow my Tigers ball cap. It was so he could give my head measurement to the seamstress!

 

Tags: Christmas

Christmas Eve

Today was a quiet and peaceful day at home. I curled up in bed with a good book by Georgette Heyer, and the kids popped in occasionally for hugs.

Work was busier than last night, and I ended up staying for the whole eight hours of my shift. I had hoped to leave an hour or so early again, but what can you do?

Driving home was bad. There was a freezing drizzle, most unpleasant. I made it home safely, though, and hopefully so will everyone else out on the roads tonight!

Tomorrow Dan and I can both be home. I hope to have a quiet day, including a long hot bubble bath! I got the kids the new Harry Potter movie on DVD (Order of the Phoenix)  and I am sure we will watching that at some point as well.

I read a wonderful and heart warming book called Three Cups of Tea , about an American nurse who has built more than fifty schools for children in the mountainous border areas of Pakistan and Afghanistan. I have passed it on to Bill to read. For more about the organization which builds these schools (and clinics and clean water systems for these remote villages) go visit http://www.threecupsoftea.com

Tags: Christmas Eve, Three Cups of Tea

the weekend before Christmas

Yesterday Dan and I went out shopping for Christmas dinner. Bill had wanted a goose. I think this is because one of his main jobs last summer was to remove goose droppings from a bank parking lot in Ann Arbor. As he put it "I want to have some revenge on those feathered fiends". However, after going to three grocery stores, we were unable to find any geese. So we got some huge thick pork chops instead. So we will have that and homemade macaroni & cheese and cornbread and biscuits and all sorts of other things. It should be good.

This morning for breakfast we had apple and cinnamon pancakes, homemade with real apple pieces. It was wonderful. For lunch we had toasted bits of pita bread dipped in humus. That was also delicious.

Dan and I both have to work on Christmas Eve, and are both feeling sad about that.

Steven seems to be doing well right now. Hopefully by the time school restarts after the holidays, his concussion will be largely healed.

Work had quieted down tonight. In fact, I took a bit of vacation time and came home early. I am really tired. Dan has a cold and has been snoring loud enough to shake the walls (or keep a wife awake) the last two nights.

I am looking forward to Christmas. I love so many things about that day. If nothing else, I am looking forward to being with my family and being able to eat dinner with them on a week day.

Our wedding anniversary is on Thursday, and I will be working, as usual. But on Friday Dan and i have tentative plans to go out for a nice dinner date followed by live jazz in Ann Arbor. And on Saturday we might go up to Frankenmuth for the day. We are looking forward to a bit of time together. We are even talking about going to Chicago for a weekend together next summer - with Bill a junior in college, surely we can leave the kids here for a couple of days.

 

Tags: Christmas, wedding anniversary, Frankenmuth

the week before Christmas...

Man, last week was busy at work. Just a butt kicker. The patient census was pretty full, and as soon as we would get a bed empty through sending someone home, another person would be admitted via the emergency room right away.

I'm glad that week is over - from the horrifying drives to and from work last Sunday on the foot of new snow to the crushing work load.

Steven missed Thursday and Friday from school. He was getting headaches again. Now he will be home for the next two weeks, and can hopefully start feeling a lot better.

It is great having Bill home, even though he has been pretty grouchy off and on since getting here.

Dan hired a photographer to come out and take family portraits yesterday. We took some outside in the snow with the dog, and some inside by the Christmas tree and fireplace. The one I especially love is of the boys sitting next to the tree with their kitties. Matty was frantically trying to escape, and the picture is hilarious. Today she brought them here, and will give Dan the wallet sized ones next week. It was so convenient having her come here rather than heading into a studio. And this way we could include the cats and the dog, who are all part of the family.

Last night we had yummy guacamole and chips for dinner, followed by bean and cheese enchiladas, which were just plain good. Yummy! Tonight we will have tacos.

Dan and I will be going to go grocery shopping when he gets home and pick out Christmas dinner. We might try a goose for the first time ever this year.

I have decided that from now on, I will just make book reviews at Amazon for everything I read. That way this blog can be more about family activities again.

Tags: family pictures, busy week

big snow storm; new computer

Well, it has been a busy weekend.

On Friday we got the new computer equipment and the broadband installed. That was an all day endeavor, waiting for the various people.

On Saturday morning we got about an inch of snow; just enough to make everything pretty slippery. I got to go grocery/holiday gift shopping in the middle of that. No fun.

On Saturday night the big snow storm moved in. It also snowed most of the day today. We got about a foot, but with high winds, so the snow was blowing around like crazy.

Driving to work was really bad - I had to use four wheel drive the whole way. I am not expecting a much better drive home - since my main direction will be south, the snow will be blowing from the west and covering the roads. There were not many people out on the drive to work - hopefully there will be even fewer people out there at midnight.

I am really tired.

But Bill is home and Steven is doing well. he had a bit of a headache yesterday, but seemed fine today. Tomorrow morning he goes to the doctor, but not school, as school has already been canceled for Monday.

Tags: snow storm

last few days

Well, it has been a long few days.

On Wednesday night, while I was at work, Steven was wrestling at a meet at Carlton Airport. In his match against a kid from Sand Creek, he was slammed head first into the mat and got a concussion.

Dan called me the emergency room at UM hospital. I left work and sat with him and Steven until they cleared him to go home after the CT scan. That was a long night for all of us. I think that Dan got about two hours of sleep. Steven obviously felt like hell warmed over.

We are keeping him home until after he sees his doctor on Monday morning.

So yesterday we parents fretted and worried about our little son, though he was showing no symptoms beyond a bad headache.

Today was computer day. Dan and I are getting a new computer and broadband for the entire family for Christmas. Dan's computer guru dude set up the hardware in the morning, then the broadband guy came out in the afternoon. The new computer is working fine, but the computer guru is coming back out tomorrow to make sure that the router is working right, and that we can use the internet on the old computer (which is networked to the new one) and the wireless part works right so Bill can use his laptop up in his room. Hopefully this will all work out, and that everyone will be happy with it.

Bill is home for three weeks, which makes me happy (as well as Dan and Steven, of course)!

I'm glad that there was a gap in the winter storms for him to drive safely home from central Indiana. The next storm will hit tomorrow night. We are only due for five inches of snow, but Muncie is due for a round of freezing rain and a foot of snow.

Today was a very bad day for the dog. Four urine cleanups and counting...

 

Tags: concussion, new computer

the Blood books by Tanya Huff

I read these books by Tanya Huff:

Blood Price

Blood Trail

Blood Lines

Blood Pact

Blood Debt

Blood Bank

Smoke and Shadows

(there are two additional books called Smoke and Mirrors and Smoke and Ashes which I have not yet read, but may someday)

These is a series set primarily in Toronto, with the Smoke books being set in Vancouver.

Vicki Nelson use to be the best homicide detective in the city of Toronto. But then she got an incurable eye disease that is slowly stealing her vision, forcing her to retire. She now works as a private investigator.

Mike Celluci is her former/sometimes lover, who still serves on the force as a homicide detective. he is sometimes abrasive due to the stress of his job and is sometimes possessive of Vicki.

Henry Fitzroy is the royal bastard of Henry VIII, currently works as a romance novelist, and is a vampire living in Toronto (later Vancouver). He is also cheerfully bisexual, and has Vicki and a street kid named Tony as his lovers.

The three main characters get together to solve crimes. Together they face down demons, the executioner of innocent werewolves (who only want to be left alone on their sheep farm in the Ontario countryside), ancient powerful mummies, and mad scientists. In Vancouver they face down ghosts and invaders from other worlds.

Lots of fun! Good urban fantasy! Henry is great!

Blood Bank has some great short stories set in Henry's past. Particularly cool were the stories set in Regency London, and in Italy, where Henry fights a solitary war against the Inquisition.

 

 

Tags: Tanya Huff, Blood Price, Blood Trail, Blood Lines, Blood Pact, Blood Debt, Blood Bank, Smoke and Shadows

several short mystery novels

from Nancy Fairbanks' Culinary Mysteries:

Mozzarella Most Murderous

Bon Bon Voyage

French Fried

Turkey Flambe

This mystery series follows the adventures of former housewife, now food writer, Carolyn Blue. Her husband is a scientist who often travels to conventions and she often travels along to experience good food and to broaden her horizons. Unfortunately, murder seems to follow Carolyn wherever she goes. In these books she travels to Italy, tales a Mediterranean cruise (Morocco - yum!), Lyon in France, and New York City. These books always make me hungry, with their lovely descriptions of delicious food. The mysteries are a bonus.

from the Bear Collector's Mysteries by John L. Lamb:

The False Hearted Teddy

The Crafty Teddy

While there are only three books thus far in this series, it is quickly becoming one of my favorites (these are the second and third books, and I loved the first one, too). Brad Lyon has had to take a medical retirement from the San Francisco police force after he was badly wounded on the job. This tough guy moved back to his wife's childhood home in rural Virginia, and has started helping out his wife with her business - creating teddy bears and stuffed animals. Quite a contrast in life styles. And when mysteries arise at bear collector's shows, Brad has the skills to help solve them...

from the Flower Shop Mysteries by Kate Collins:

Mum's the Word

Slay it with Flowers

Dearly Depotted

These are the first three novels of this mystery series. They are set in a college town in northern Indiana, and feature a law school dropout named Abby Knight, who has bought the local flower shop. Someone I love now lives in a college town in Indiana, and I love flower shops and flowers. But something just does not quite click for me in these books, and I am not even sure what that thing might be. Is it Abby's meddling? Abby's truly obnoxious family and ex-fiance? The fact that only a few short weeks have taken place over the course of the books and corpses are stacking up in what must otherwise be a quiet and nice little town? I like them enough that I would be willing to read more of them if I find free or used copies, but did not like them enough to eagerly set out to hunt the additional books in the series down.

from the Coffeehouse Mysteries by Cleo Coyle:

Through the Grinder

Latte Trouble

I have fallen in love with this series. I liked the first book but the series really takes off in the second and third. The characters are deeply developed and interesting, and the setting - an historic coffeehouse in New York City's Greenwich Village - is both interesting and charming. Clare Cosi runs the business with the help of her sexy and charming ex-husband, Matteo. The business is owned by his mother. Their daughter is also in NYC, going to cooking school. So there are all sorts of interesting family dynamics going on, in addition to the mysteries. The second novel deals with the New York dating scene, and the third with the fashion industry.

Tags: Bear Collector's Mysteries, John L. Lamb. The False-Hearted Teddy, The Crafty Teddy, Culinary Recipes, Nancy Fairbanks, Mozzarella Most Murderous, Bon Bon Voyage, French Fried, Turkey Flambe, Flower Shop Mysteries, Kate Collins, Mum's the Word, Slay it with Flowers, Dearlu Depotted, Coffeehouse Mysteries, Cleo Coyle, Through the Grinder, Latte Trouble

some recent reads

Not feeling well over the past couple of weeks, I have been doing a lot of reading.

Kasserine Pass by Martin Blumenson tells the story of the epic WW2 battle in North Africa. Unfortunately, it could have used some maps and a brief list of people appearing in the book with a brief synopsis of who they are and what they do. It was sort of confusing, and in some cases, the author does not even give the first names or nationalities of some of the important leaders of the battle. Perhaps because it was written many years ago, the author assumed the names and places would be familiar to his readers.

Dearly Beloved is an historical romance by Mary Jo Putney. Now then, I love some of her historical romances - River of Fire, Shattered Rainbows, and One Perfect Rose are among my all time favorites Regencies. But this book was a little too grim for my tastes. The fact that the hero rapes a very young virgin in the opening chapter was a big turn off. The fact that this isn't even the darkest thing in his life was an even bigger turn off. I kept hoping that the heroine would find a nicer guy...

Taming the Heiress  by Susan King was a nice surprise. As far as I know, I have not read anything else by this author, so wasn't sure what to expect. As it turns out, I liked both the hero and the heroine, as well as the Scottish legends and setting that are a part of their story. The heroine is more than a little annoyingly stubborn about a lifesaving lighthouse being built, but she does eventually come to her senses.

Murder is a Girl's Best Friend  by Amanda Metetsky is the second book in the Paige Turner Mystery Series. The book is set in New York City in the 1950's. Both the glamour and the horror (if you are female or African American and therefore subject to second class status) are shown. Paige Turner works for a True Crime sort of tabloid. While she is probably the brightest person in the office, as the only female she is subject to sexual discrimination and harassment. Because of her job, an army buddy of her deceased husband asks her to investigate the murder of his sister, and to find out how the sister got thousands of dollars worth of diamonds in her apartment. Paige is spunky and the book is a lot of fun. If I run into the other books in this series, I will gladly read them.

Holiday Are Hell is a collection of four novellas by four different authors.

Two Ghosts for Sister Rachel is by Kim Harrison, and part of her Hollows urban fantasy series. This is a well written back story of Rachel Morgan, a young witch, and one of the three main characters of the series. her dream is to become an officer of the supernatural police force like her deceased father. But she is a bit too young, and still recuperating from a near fatal disease. Her older brother promises to sign the permission papers if she can cast an advanced spell. What happens when Rachel tries the spell is unexpected, and leads to all sorts of problems.

Run, Run Rudolph by Lynsay Sands is a light hearted and funny novella about a woman who suddenly gains the ability to shape change, and the mad scientist who is determined to capture her for study. Helping her out is her big crush, a sexy local businessman.

Six by Marjorie M. Liu is the story of a Chinese government agent who must join forces with a necromancer to fight vampires. I wasn't too sure about his one - or its message that good sex with a near stranger is something worth holding onto life to get.

The Harvest by Vicki Petersson is part of her Zodiac urban fantasy series. This one did not do much for me, as I did not particularly like the main character or the world - an alternate Earth where super heroes fight on the part of good or evil. But I know that I probably would not like the series, so am spared a bit of time and/or money in reading the full length books.

Tags: Kasserine Pass, Martin Blumenson, Dearly Beloved, mary Jo Putney, Taming the Heiress, Susan King, Murder is a Girl's Best Friend, Amanda Matetsky, Paige Turner Mysteries, Dates From Hell, Kim Harrison, Lynsay Sands, Marjorie Liu, Vicki Pettersson

getting over a sinus thing

Well, today was the first time I have left the house (other than to let the dog out) since I got home from work on Thursday. I had (and still have) a nasty sinus thing going. I pretty much dozed in the big overstuffed chair in the living room over most of the weekend and watched old movies. What is it with the classic movie channels and Doris Day? I can see some of her films being considered classic - Pillow Talk coming to mind immediately - but these were things like Move Over, Darling and The Ballad of Josie. I also got see a pretty good Elizabeth Taylor movie I had not seen before called Butterfield 8 and a really cheesy Esther Williams movie called On an Island With You. Is there anything in the world more cheesy than an Esther Williams movie? And when I was not watching old movies I slept in bed a lot.

Sunday Steven and Dan got the Christmas tree up, and I helped put on some decorations in between naps. That was very nice - I love the holidays. It helped my spirits quite a bit to see the tree going up!

On Saturday Steven wrestled at Linden, and I was not able to go. Dan told me he wrestled up a weight class all day and finished 2-3.  He worked hard, but just ran into larger better kids.

On Sunday we had a light ice storm. Nothing like what they have been having in Oklahoma. My heart really goes out to the ice storm victims out on the plains. It is horrible to lose power and heat in the winter. Miraculously, we did not lose our power this time. Another ice storm is supposed to be coming through tomorrow, a heavier one. I hope to make it to and from work safely.

Bill will be coming home later this week. I hope this nasty weather clears out before he is on the freeway!

No wrestling tournaments the next two weekends, though there will be practices. It will be grand to have the whole family home for the next two weekends!

Here's hoping we will have power tomorrow!

Tags: ice storm, Doris Day movies, Esther Willams movies

and the windstorm follows...and then an Alberta clipper

Well, after the weather mess this weekend (which killed at least three people locally on the bad roads), we got a big windstorm as a followup. A tree got knocked down in our backyard and got tangled up in the electrical lines. By some miracle from God, we kept our power. Sadly, the neighbors all lost theirs. So that was a mess on Monday. Took Detroit Edison hours to fix it and get the live wires off of the ground and back up into the air.

Tonight it is snowing again. It is a fast moving little storm of the sort called an Alberta Clipper. We should only get an inch or so of snow, and all should be well.

Dan finally went to the doctor today about his bad knee. I have been telling him to go for weeks. They think he has some sort of ligament damage, and he will start physical therapy next week. I told him that even though my knee aches every day, that the physical therapy I had helped a lot, and kept it from hurting a lot more. Hopefully it will do the same for him.

The Tigers are in the middle of another blockbuster trade. They have picked up some great players in this off season, but they are giving up some great young pitching prospects to get them. And that worries me a lot. Jerrjens and Miller are going to be fantastic Major League pitchers someday, and it will be ulcer inducing to see them in Atlanta and Florida uniforms rather than proudly wearing old English D's.

Tags: bad winter weather, bad knees, Detroit Tigers

first tournament; first winter storm

Well, on Saturday Steven had his first official high school tournament out at the Hudson team tournament on the other side of the Irish Hills. He won three matches and lost two matches. One of the ones he lost was to a senior wrestling at his weight, and the other to a junior when he was wrestling one weight class up. And he beat a senior at his weight class. So he did very well for a freshman! On the season he has a 4-3 record, and has not yet been pinned. And all of those defeats were to upper classmen, and two when he was wrestling in weight classes above his weight. So he is doing very well, and is well on the way to earning his varsity letter as a freshman, as his elder brother did.

The morning was beautiful, though very cold, and we had a pleasant drive out to Hudson through the Irish Hills. But when we got out it was snowing. It was windy, so rather than sticking, it was forming snow snakes on the road in the wind.

We came straight home to let out the dog (and clean up after him), and ate dinner.

Then Dan and I wanted to drive back to Saline. We had passed through Saline in both directions, and saw what looked like some sort of craft fair downtown. (We looked in the paper and it was a German style Christmas craft fair, with German food and beverage booths). It had looked very nice. But when we got back outside, it was snowing pretty hard and sticking - and some sleet and freezing rain was starting to mix in. So we decided to do the wise thing and stayed home.

We napped and heard a crash. A car had come off the road and crashed into our neighbor's yard. The road is raised a few feet from the ground there, and the person crashed pretty hard. No one was hurt, but it took the police and tow truck a long time to get the car back out onto the road.

The freezing rain was coming down pretty hard and the roads were awful.

While we were sad to miss the fair, we had made the right decision.

Today it is warmer and raining like crazy. At least it is melting the snow and ice!

Tags: Hudson team tournament, bad winter roads

are you a grinch?

You Are the Furthest Thing From Grinch

You love and live for the holidays. You even love the Grinch! You're in the holiday spirit year round... because you're all about celebrating and giving.

***You Are the Furthest Thing From Grinch***

You love and live for the holidays. You even love the Grinch!
You're in the holiday spirit year round... because you're all about celebrating and giving.

Are You a Grinch?
http://www.blogthings.com/areyouagrinchquiz/

Tags: are you a grinch?

what holiday food are you?

You Are a Gingerbread House

A little spicy and a little sweet, anyone would like to be lost in the woods with you.

***You Are a Gingerbread House***

A little spicy and a little sweet, anyone would like to be lost in the woods with you.

What Holiday Food Are You?
http://www.blogthings.com/whatholidayfoodareyouquiz/

Tags: what holiday food are you?

first tri-meet

When I was eating dinner at work last night, someone literally came running back to the break room to tell me that my husband was on the phone, and that he sounded really weird, and something might be wrong. Well, it was Dan, and he was all hyper because he had taken a bunch of sudafed for his cold. So he did sound very weird, but luckily nothing was wrong. He was calling to tell me about Steven's first official high school matches. He wrestled up a weight class, and lost to a senior from Melvindale, then beat the other kid from Allen Park. So he did very well for a freshman. And they changed the schedule so the first tournament will be at Hudson rather than Birch Run. We are trying to figure out a way to go, given the situation with the incontinent elderly dog.

I had to cancel our summer vacation. I had to cancel my trip down to Indiana for a long weekend to visit my older son on his birthday. I really do not want to miss my younger son's first high school tournament, too, especially since it is less than two hours away! We might just go, figuring on cleaning up a huge mess when we get home...

One more night of work this week, thank God.

Dan is starting to feel a little better, though he says that his chest feels tight and hurts. I am still sort of feeling worn out, and hope to get some good extra sleep tomorrow.

Tomorrow I hope to get some Christmas presents ready to mail out, and order the others on the internet. That wll be my project for the day.

Our big gift this year will be a new computer for the entire family.

getting caught up

Thanksgiving this year was a nice family day. Dinner was great, with plenty to eat for everyone - and the cats loved getting pieces of (cooked) turkey skin. Dan and I both came down with being sick that day, so we were pretty quiet, but still had a great day.

Dan still has a terrible cold. Mine is better, though I still do not have much energy to get stuff done. All I feel like doing is curling up in a ball and sleeping. I read a lot of short mystery books, which I will blog about later.

Last Saturday, Steven had the first wrestling tournament of the season. It was an organizational tournament rather than his first offical high school one (which will be this coming Saturday up in Birch Run). He did fine - only lost one match, and that to a state championship tournament qualifier from last year. He even beat a senior and a junior, which is pretty good for an incoming freshman!

Bill is back at school, and we, of course, miss our big guy!

Steven's first official wrestling meet as a high school student is tonight in Melvindale. of course, I must work instead of watching him, and that has me cranky as h*ll. I hope that Dan is up to driving out there and watching him!

I had to change my health care insurance -  MCARE, the HMO I have had for more than twenty years is no more. That has been a pain in the butt to figure out. I am also trying to figure out if I should set up a flexible medical spending account to pay the copays and for over the counter medications.

I just found out that a friend is getting divorced after nine years of marriage, and that has made me really sad, too.

At least I know what I am going to get everyone for Christmas (other than Dan and the kids). I just need to get my act in gear and take care of it!

Tags: Thanksgiving, start of high school wrestling season

busier night at work

Tonight has been busier than last night here at work. As a result, people have not been bothering me as much. Go workload!

And Bill has made it safely home.

Life is better now!

work all day, work all night...

I have been working ever since breakfast here at home. I sorted and folded and put away five loads of laundry. I do not mind washing and drying the clothes, or even sorting them out, but for whatever reason, putting them away has always irritated me. Yes, I know that is probably weird! But it is just the way I am, and I cannot seem to help it.

Then I get to go in and work at work tonight.

Sometimes you just cannot win.  ;-)

Work was grim and sad last night. I work with this great guy, and have for over fifteen years now. He and his wife have a beloved daughter. They wanted to have a large family, but they were only able to have one child. Well, she has been married for awhile, and my friend and his wife were ecstatic when their daughter became pregnant. Since her husband is also an only child, his parents were also beside themselves with joy. Well, the baby was recently lost. Oh, that baby is so mourned by so many!

Last night I did what I had promised myself I would do whenever I get too stressed out. I seduced my husband. Take that creepy coworkers! Make me listen to constant whining and complaining and anger every single flipping day, and you still cannot ruin my life! Take that Mr. Grinch! Come popping into my life to be mean every few months like a demented jack-in-the-box and you still cannot take away laughter and joy! Take that death! I will answer you with life!

yesterday and today

Yesterday was my last day off of my long weekend.

It was just this nice and quiet Sunday at home with Dan and Steven.

We did some dishes and laundry; Dan cooked pancakes for breakfast, and we had leftover pasta for dinner.

It was warm for so late in the month and we took a short walk with the elderly dog.

I read a couple of short mystery books, and the boys watched the Detroit Lions game.

At about two in the morning I woke up crying.

Yes, that is how stressed out I was about coming back to work today.

It is not the work itself, it is some of the ever-grouchy people I have to work with. Sometimes I can feel my physical and mental health slip away bit by bit, one whine, one complaint, and one temper tantrum at a time. Oh - that temper tantrum will take another year off of my life! That whining fit cost me a week of life! I honestly think some of the people I currently work with need to have psych evaluations based on their poor and childish behavior. The work is fine - the weird whiney people are pure and unadulterated stress.

I try not to complain about it, either to Dan, or even here. I do not like to even think about it most of the time. But when I have been away from it - that is when I realize how terrible it is, and how it is starting to break me. When I am not at work I can sleep. I can eat without feeling like throwing up. I do not get diarrhea on a daily basis.

To make life worse, Mr. Grinch has been at it again lately. How many times do you have to dump someone to get them to leave you alone? How many beloved mutual people and places do you have to leave to get someone to leave you alone? He came out of nowhere - after having blessedly left me alone for months - and started trying to pick fights with me again. Simply because I was happy that the Lions had won a couple of games, something which had literally nothing to do with him. He spoke to me and my face broke out in a nasty rash and I got the runs for days. I was angry and upset enough to make the mistake of speaking back to him, and I was nasty enough that he did shut up after two exchanges. I thought that got the message across, but this weekend he was nasty again, and I can proudly say that this time I completely blew him off. I do not think anyone I have ever known other than my mother has ever hated me as much as this man does. If he actually wanted to be friends, or even talk occasionally, wouldn't he be nice????  If you had repeatedly treated someone poorly and lied to them, wouldn't you quietly approach them in private and be very nice to them if you changed your mind and wanted to be friends after all???(Actually, wouldn't he have been willing to work it out during that year when I tried to work things out, and he just kept treating me like crap and lying? How many chances does someone need????) Wouldn't he apologize?????????? Only pure hatred would explain following someone around and being mean and picking fights the way he has for nearly two years now (it will be two years in February since I broke things off with him the second time, next month will be three years since he started treating me like crap and I broke things off with him the first time).

The sad thing is, I am pathetic enough that if he were to be nice, I would probably be willing to meet him halfway, for the sake of all of our mutual friends if nothing else. But there is not danger of that ever happening, now is there? I think if someone offered him a million dollars he could not find it within himself to be nice to me.

One good thing - Steven's report card came and he got a bit over a 3.94 GPA. I guess I did not warp him for life by home schooling him for a year after all.

And Bill will be home from school tomorrow for a few days, for Thanksgiving. That will be great, too!

Holy crap, cats, and cows - I am in a terrible mood. Going back to work and being bothered (AGAIN!!!!) by someone who hates me and tries to pick fights with me just does not agree with me at all. Three work nights this week, one night soon to be down, and I can home with my family again. If I ignore Mr. Grinch maybe he will leave me alone (at least for a few months) for awhile again.

Thanksgiving menu

we've pretty much finalized our menu for this year:

breakfast
(while watching the big Thanksgiving parade in Detroit on TV - Michiganders ignore that "other" parade )

blueberry bread
orange juice/milk


early afternoon snacks
while watching and laughing at the Lions in the Thanksgiving Day football game in Detroit on TV - this substitutes for lunch

veggies and dip
fresh fruit (whatever looks good in the store on Tuesday ), but I hope it will be clementines
tortilla chips and a sweet fruit salsa, a spicy hot salsa, and a quesa salsa
potato chips & French onion dip
a cracker & artisan cheese plate


dinner
10 pound turkey
stuffing
gravy
mashed potatoes with cheddar & garlic
salad
cranberry sauce
macaroni & cheese
cresent rolls
cornbread
biscuits
a vegetable side dish to be determined on what looks freshest at the store on Tuesday


beverages
milk, eggnog, fruit juice, Michigan winter white wine, mead, Spanish sangria

I am sure we will drink hot chocolate, hot spiced apple cider, and hot tea throughout the day



desserts
cherry mallow cake
cherry pie & cool whip
key lime pie
pink lemonaid pie
brownies
double decker chocolate & peanut butter fudge


I have already made a pink lemonaid pie as of last night, but it is already half gone, so probably none of it will be left by Thursday. I might make a key lime pie ahead of time as well.

Tags: Thanksgiving meal planning

recent reads

Man, it was cold and rainy today. I think snow might have been warmer than that rain, because you can at least brush snow off. Rain this cold just soaks you and chills you to the bone.

I think the icy cold rain contributed to the true stench of the big football game today. Both OSU and UM stank, with OSU stinking a bit less (unfortunately).

Ah well. The big game comes once a year, and when your team stinks, what can you do other than endure it and take a hot relaxing bubble bath during the endless second half?

Well, I've been fitting in some reading in between naps the last few days...

Thunderbird Falls by C. E. Murphy is the middle book in the Walker Papers, a three book urban fantasy series that began with Urban Shaman. Joanne Walker is a Seattle police officer, and a Native American shaman with great healing powers. (She is half Irish and half Cherokee). In this book, after her spirit guide (a coyote) vanishes, Joanne accidentally releases demons into Seattle. As the big show down looms, Joanne realizes that she really does not know enough about her powers...enjoyable, and Joanne is a very likable character, despite (or perhaps because of) her flaws.

Coyote Dreams by C. E. Murphy is the third book in The Walker Papers. Officers for the Seattle police force are going to sleep and not waking up, as they are in some sort of inexplicable coma. Since there is no physical cause, police officer and shaman Joanne Walker thinks that magic might be the cause. She must find a way to wake up those asleep, and protect those who are awake. But in order to defeat the cause, Joanne must face her deepest secrets and her most hidden feelings - and must find a way to also face those feelings in the waking world, even those of having a huge crush on an unobtainable man.

Dragon's Fire by Todd Mccaffrey and Anne McCaffrey and Dragonsblood by Todd McCaffrey are being lumped into one entry, as they are simply not very good books. Some of the earlier Dragonriders of Pern book written solely by Anne, are among the classics of science fiction. This is largely because of the deep characterizations and the joy in detailing life on the planet Pern, whether in those humans who live with dragons, or those who live in the Harper Hall, making music and teaching a world. Well, those deeply developed characters and that joy is all gone now, leaving a shallow cardboard shell of a once vibrant world. Flat cardboard characters, lame recycled plot elements, and clumsy retconning are the hallmarks of these books. I will give the new author one more chance with the upcoming Dragon Harper, but if it does not get any better, I will go back to such classics as Dragon Flight and pretend these books do not exist.

Ship of Ghosts by James D. Hornfischer is a history book of the Pacific Theater in World War II. It tells the rather grim and depressing story of the USS Houston, an American warship who was sunk off of Java in a great battle, and whose surviving crew was enslaved to make railroads in Burma. It is a story of both courage and cruelty.

Murder on Astor Place is the first book in the Gaslight Mysteries by Victoria Thompson. It is set in about the year 1900 in New York City. Sarah is a midwife serving woman of all social classes. Frank Malloy is a rare uncorrupted police detective. This odd couple investigates the murder of a well born young pregnant girl in Greenwich Village, despite the fact that her scandal fearing family does not want the case investigated. Both Sarah and Frank are very likable and the mystery itself is very interesting. Really promising start to a series!

Guess Who's Coming to Die by Patricia Sprinkle is one of the Thoroughly Southern Mystery series. This one is set in small southern town, so you have to try to figure out who is related to who, and how, and how all of the characters know each other and why they interact in the ways that they do. (Ah, small town life!) You have to understand all of that to get full worth out of the plot...in this, a woman who is a judge, small business owner, wife, mother, and grandmother is the sleuth. When she is invited to join the investment group of women of the local aristocracy, she finds a murdered woman (also a member of the club) in the ladies' room. The rest of the book deals with her attempts to discover who did the dirty deed and why. You have to know all of the genetic relationships for generations, who has been or is sleeping with who, and why some women do or do not get along in their various social clubs in order to follow the judge in her investigation...

Tags: Michigan vs. Ohio State football game, C. E. Murphy, Walker Papers, Thunderbird Falls, Coyote Dreams, Anne Mccaffrey, Todd McCaffrey, Dragonriders of Pern, Dragonsblood, Dragon's Fire, James D. Hornfischer, Ship of Ghosts, USS Houston, Victoria Thompson. Murder on Astor Place, Gaslight Mysteries, Patricia Sprinkle, Guess Who's Coming to Die, Thoroughly Southern Mysteries

the last few days

I have been a bit under the weather the last few days. I have a cold, I am blue because I could not go visit Bill on his birthday due to the dog being so incontinent, and I've been having a bad period with a lot of cramping and back ache this month. The latter will be ending soon, thank goodness.

I've been trying to get a lot of rest so I can feel better.

I have been doing some cleaning in the house. I actually got the kitchen table cleared off, which is a minor miracle, as it is one of the greatest "junk catching" areas of the entire house. Mail and all sorts of stuff just collects there and breeds and makes even more stuff.

But now, other than a couple of cookbooks, it is all cleared off and ready to be used on Thanksgiving.

Got most of the rest of the kitchen clean, too.

Considering how I have been feeling the past few days, I am proud to get that much done!

Tags: housework sucks

getting caught up with the last few days

I'm tired and, as always right after Bill goes back to school, a little down...

This weekend we had a joint celebration of both sons' birthdays. Steven turned 15 and Bill will be turning 19 later this week. So Bill came home for the weekend. The kids played video games a lot, and Dan and I worked on cleaning the house. Homemade food, plus cake and ice cream, lots of smiles - good weekend.

I was off from work today for Veterans' Day, so took the Jeep in to the dealer for its oil change, and met Dan for lunch in Ann Arbor. We had a tasty meal at a little Mexican restaurant we have not previously eaten at. The food and service were both very good, and the meal cost under ten dollars for both of us put together, which is a great price for Ann Arbor.

I am rarely home during midweek evenings, so Dan made one of my favorite dinners tonight - meatloaf and mashed potatoes. It was very nice of him to do that for me. I think he knows that I am feeling a bit blue.

This week will be strange.  I worked on Sunday, was home for Monday, will work Tuesday, then be off until next Monday. I had taken a long weekend to go visit Bill down in Indiana, but I cannot do that because the dog cannot be left alone all day. Or boarded. Or left with a pet sitter. He is just too old and incontinent and feeble. So Dan will be able to use my Jeep while he gets his truck worked on, and I will do a lot of cleaning. Yuck.

 

Tags: birthdays

recent reads (other than or since Donaldson)

I might have already typed up one or two of these, I am tired after work and my brain is a bit loopy...

Miss Parker's Ponies by Victoria Hinshaw

This is a Regency romance. Miss Caroline Parker wants nothing more than to stay in the country and breed and train her beautiful ponies. But for rather selfish reasons of her own, her mother decides to force her into a London dubutante season in hopes she will snag a rich husband. Captain Thomas Ogden was wounded in the Napolanic Wars. He is the heir to a bankrupt estate, and needs a wealthy wife. The two of them become friends and agree to check out each other's prospective suitors. But somehow each of them keep finding fault with any potential partners for the other. How can they find happiness when neither one has the financial means to marry the other? A lot of the secondary characters are simply unlikable, and the book could have used more of the charming ponies ot make up for the less than charming humans.

Worth Any Price by Lisa Kleypas is set in the early Victorian era in England. A detective is hired to track down a runaway fiance for a wealthy (and quite insane) lord. When Nick Gentry finds Miss Charlotte Howard, he decides to marry her himself rather than return her to the horrible man she fled. Many complications ensue, including interference from the spurned fiance, before the two can find happiness. Since the two main characters both have such unhappy pasts, their romance is both touching and believeable.

Mine Till Midnight by Lisa Kleypas is set in the early Victorian Age in England. Unfortunately, this book was simply not very good. It read like half of a story, or perhaps the first book of a duology, with no notes to indicate another book will be coming. Amelia Hathaway, sister to a young peer, and handsome Cam Rohan, half Gypsy, and therefore sneered at by many in their society, become involved. However, this couple did not do much for me. The couple that actually intrigued me was Amelia's sister Win, and their full blood Gypsy foster brother, Merripen. While the first couple seemed to have little other than lust, the second couple - whose story was left hanging - seemed to actually love each other by anyone's definition. Also left hanging is the mysterious connection between Cam and Merripen. And the whole story involving the rude drunken sot of Amelia's brother was just...dumb. I have read other books by this author, and this might be the rare poor one. (Unless  there is another book coming to tie up all of the loose ends).

Farthing by Jo Clayton is an alternate history set in England in the late 1940's after England made a seperate peace with Nazi Germany. The isolationist USA never entered the war on that world, so history flowed differently. The book is told in two points of view. One of them, that of Lucy Kahn, is in first person. At first, you think that Lucy is a pampered and silly litte thing, a younger daughter of a noble household. By the end, you know that Lucy has perhaps the best common sense and clear headed thinking of anyone in the story. The other point of view is in third person, and tells the events as seen by Scotland Yard Inspector Peter Carmichael, who is secretly gay. The Khans, Lucy and her Jewish husband David, have been invited to a house party at Farthing, the country estate of her parents. her parents are among the movers and shakers of British politics, and among the guests are many notables, including the man who negotiated peace with Germany after years of ruinous war. During the coure of the weekend, right before an important national election, this man (married to one of Lucy's sisters) is murdered, with obviously false evidence left behind by the killer/s to implicate a Jewish person. Throw in an assassination attempt upon Lucy and her Viscount father, and things are in an uproar. But while the mystery is interesting, the heart of the story is how a nation call fall into the evils of fascism and anti-Semitism that is both gripping and blood chilling.

Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, translated by Edith Grossman, is a story of obsessed love in Latin America in the decades surrounding the year 1900.  When very young, Florentino Ariza and Fermina Daza fall in love. But Fermina changes her mind and marries a paragon of a young and dedicated and handsome and wealthy and aristocratic doctor named Juvenal Urbino instead. While Fermina and the doctor spend more than fifty years together, many of them happy, and raise a family, Florentine obssesses over her and takes on well over 600 lovers to kill the time while he waits for her husband to die. Weird story with weird characters, but so well written that Marquez keeps you glued anyway. I think I might have enjoyed it more if I could see stalking as romantic rather than creepy...

Urban Shaman by C. E. Murphy is the first novel in a fantasy trilogy (which has been completed, YAY!). Joanne Walker is half Irish and hald Cherokee. She also works for the Seattle police department. An injury that should have been fatal releases her repressed shaman powers of healing. She begins going on vision quests where she is guided by a talking coyote. And the Celtic deities making up the mythical Wild Hunt are trying to trash her city and murder innocent people. Joanne has three days to figure out how to use her new shamanic powers to save her city and perhaps the entire world from the Wild Hunt.

Tags: Miss Parker's Ponies, Victoria Hinshaw, Worth Any Price, Lisa Kleypas, Mine Until Midnight, Farthing, Jo Walton, Love in the Time of Cholera, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Urban Shaman, C. E. Murphy

dead possum

We have had this possum living in and around our yard for awhile now.

I had always thought that possums were both very shy and nocturnal, but this one taught me differently.

I really liked to watch him walking around the yard in the middle of the day, sniffing things.

Well, as of yesterday there is a dead possum in the middle of the road right in front of our house. Road kill, of course.

I'm surprised at how sad I feel to think that it is probably "our" possum.

It's surprising how much you can come to like someone or something you do not really know. All I knew of this possum is how much I like watching it walk around. And yet, I am so sad that I cannot do so anymore.

Tags: possum

the last few days

Busy few days, as usual. I am very glad that I will be getting quite a bit of time off of work this month due to holidays and vacation days.

Yesterday we went to Battle Creek for Steven to weigh in for a big wrestling tournament. We stopped off and ate at an all you can eat buffet (Old Country Buffet) in Jackson on the way home. Now then, Steven is a skinny kid - but he still ate four plates filled up with food, and one partial plate, as well as a dessert.

Last night we fell asleep to the lovely silvery howls and cries of a pack of coyotes running through the neighborhood.

Today Dan and Steven went to Battle Creek for the tournament, and I stayed home and cleaned and took care of poor old Max dog...

I have already started to think about menus for the kids' birthdays (we will celebrate both birthdays next weekend; Bill is coming home from school for the weekend just for that) and for Thanksgiving. Some things are givens; other recipes will require shopping lists and ingredients we do not usually use.

And like all Detroit Tigers fans, my heart is broken by the freak injury that has quite likely ended relief pitcher Joel Zumaya's career. He is just a big kid, and still lives with his parents and younger brother in the off season, near San Diego. The wild fires came near their home (two miles) and Zumaya was moving around boxes when a heavy box fell on his shoulder and really did a lot of damage. He required major surgery. The local paper said yesterday that no player in the history of the MLB has ever made a good comeback from shoulder damage of that nature and degree and major surgery that severe.

Tags: Old Country Buffet, Detroit Tigers, Joel Zumaya, coyotes

Happy Halloween!!!!!!!

It is Halloween!

I love Halloween!

Is there anything more precious in all of the world than a tiny child in a cute costume, all geeked up on excitement, and in the throes of a sugar buzz?? <grins>

My children outgrew going around for candy years ago, and I do miss that. I love them as teenagers, but that is one thing about young childhood that I do miss.

Tags: Happy Halloween

Donaldson's Fatal Revenant part two chapter twelve, part two

to see the spoilers, run your cursor over them...

continuation:






[spoiler]


So here we go.

It is the dark of the moon on the middle night of spring.

We are in Andelain. We have wraiths. We have the spirits of the four greatest of the Old High Lords. We have Liand, the three Humbled, the three Ramen, several of the Ranyhyn, Stave, Queen Infelice of the elohim, and the Harrow of the Insequent. We have Linden, who bears both the Staff of Law and the white gold ring. I hope I have everyone.

We are standing in the place of Lorc's krill, a legendary implement that is not only a kickass weapon, but is said to be able to channel any amount of power.

But there is no sign of Thomas Covevant, living or dead.

Stave tells Linden that the time has comefor her to act on what is in her heart.

And she cries out that Covenant is not here!

Stave tells her that she must call on the Law Breakers.

And he clearly disapproves of what she is doing...

But Linden disregards him, as she has everyone and everything else.

She calls upon Elena and Hile Troy.

The Law-Breakers, dead and broken; doomed. The ghosts of all that the Land had lost.

But the spirits of Elena and Troy bring Thomas Covenant's spirit with them.

...he had gone beyond recognition. He was no more human than the stars: a being of such illimitable lonliness and grandeur that he both defied and deified understanding.

And he does not seem to approve of what Linden is doing, either.


On the far side of Loric's embedded blade, he halted. There he stood with his arms folded like denial across his chest...His eyes bled nacre on her nehalf. But he shook his head. Harsh as a blow, he raised his halfhand to cover his mouth.

Linden has found Covenant, but he will not talk to her. She must make her own choice, for good or ill...

Infelice makes one last plea for Linden to stop, but she also refuses to help Linden find and rescue Jeremiah, Linden makes her choice.

Then the Humbled forbid Linden from taking the krill. The Ranyhyn and the Ramen prevent the Humbled from interfering.

She calls up the power of both Staff and Ring and channel them with all of her might into Loric's krill. She had been told that she was not the ring's rightful wielder, and therefore the amount of power she can call from the ring is limited - but that certainly does not seem to be the case...

Her power is that of a god.

And she uses that power to bring Thomas Covenant back to life.

Infelice tells them all that Linden has awakened the Worm of World's End.

And the Ranyhyn, who have warned Linden, sound as if they mourn.

And so the novel ends, without our knowing whether or not the Earth will be destroyed, and how long that will take.

Yet, there is hope in contradiction.

Perhaps a destruction or partial destruction of the Earth is necessary as a cleansing, from Foul and other banes.

Perhaps destruction can lead to a new creation.

And what about Anele, being the hope of the Land after Linden brings doom? And Anele telling Linden to look for the oldest rock? What could be in the oldest rock other than the echoes of creation?

And Donaldson did give us big clues as to some of the things thta might happen in the next book - from traveling to Mount Thunder to cleanse the Land of Kevins' Dirt, to a magic sword made to use agsinst Sandgorgons.

I think that there is quite a bit of story left.


[/spoiler]

Tags: Stephen R. Donaldson, Fatal Revenant

Donaldson's Fatal Revenant part two chapter twelve, part one

to see the spoilers, run your cursor over them...

Well, this is it - the end of the road for this book. Yes, it makes me sad, and the wait for the next book (the one whose title was changed to something odd that I cannot remember) will be very long, indeed.

And, as always, I do not have enough time. I have an hour before I have to leave for work. I doubt I can finish everything up in this time frame, so will probably be back in the middle of the night to work on it some more.

I probably will be making one or two more threads for this book, also well marked for spoilers. One will be an annex thread for part two chapter six, when I attempt to make a flowchart for the confusing events of that chapter.

I may or may not also make a thread where I (or anyone else as well! ) can work on their reviews for Amazon or Amazon.ca or Amazon.co.uk. Now that thread would/should be spoiler free, as the reviews themselves should be as spoiler free as possible.

And here we go...

[spoiler]


TRUST YOURSELF, a rather ominous title for a chapter when Linden plans on going against the advice of both her enemies and her friends. And - it is a paradox, for while Linden will be trusting herself in doing so - she is doing it because she has so little faith in herself. The only thing that kept me going in this chapter is that

there is hope in contradiction.

Linden and her party wait on the riverbank, talking and trying to figure out how to deal with the waiting Harrow. Linden asks Stave about how Morinmoss redeemed the Covenant. It is unclear what she is looking for, other than an answer of how much she will might to pay in a deal with the Insequent.

Linden decides that she will talk to him, but make no decisions until they reach the krill.

As night grows near, the Ranyhyn carry the party across the cold river. They face the Harrow at the last little bit of sunset...

(Yes, all of this talk of sunset and the end of day is very ominous, and is foreshadowing of what will happen later in this chapter).

The Harrow tells Linden that he can come to Andelain, but Kastenessen, Esmer, and Roger are all blocked.

Linden starts hearing a strange noise, too elusive and far away for her to identify it. She decides to ignore it for now, and asks more questions to the Harrow about how some are blocked from Andelain and others are not.

Why not Anele, for example, as he is stuffed with Earthpower?

Because Anele means no harm, of course, and his power is from Andelain.

Why not Longwrath?

It is because he carries a magic sword, made by Kasryn of the Gyre - designed to kill Sandgorg.

Now, if that is not some great foreshadowing of things to come later in the series, I do not know what it could be! Who knows if Longwrath will come to his senses and use the sword against the gorgons, or someone else will, but Donaldson would never have a sword like this if he is not planning on using it.

Now, the Insequent seems to be the only other person who can hear the strange sounds that Linden is hearing. He says that :

Far greater beings walk the Hills, among them one of vast arrogance and self-worship.

As the sound comes closer, it is the sound of bells.

Linden knows that sound well - it is the sound of the Elohim.

And sure enough - it the Queen of the Elohim, Infelice.

How bad are things about to get is this supremely self-absorbed being is about to try to intervene?

It is quickly obvious that there is some sort of bad blood between the Insequent and the Elohim. The Theomach has said as much, and the Vizard has wanted Jeremiah to trap them. Infelice and the Harrow do not like each other, not at all.

It soon becomes clear that Infelice has come to try to convince Linden to give up her secret plans for the krill.

Linden grows tires of their banter, and tells her party to come on - let us go get the krill. The Harrow and Infelice can tag along if they like...

And the wraiths come, as an escort...

We discover from the Harrow, that this night is Banas Nimoran, the dark of the moon on the middle night of spring - something which happens once in a generation, and a time once of great joy with the Celebration of Spring, then of horror ever since the wraiths were interrupted in their dance... Bad things happen on this night in the Chronicles. The wraiths were attacked by ur-viles. The moon turned illearth green and gave the signal for the Giant Raver to attack Revelstone and the Lords.

Infelice tells Linden that the Elohim and the Insequent share one thing - that neither wants to see the Earth end. And the Harrow sings an ominous song about the end of all things.

Infelice tells Linden that the shadow on the hearts of the Elohim is the fear of mortals such as Linden and the Timewarden (Is that Thomas Covenant????) who have enough power to destroy the world.

She tells Linden plainly that she is on course to ruin the Earth and serve Lord Foul.

And so this is the way the world ends -

And so they reach the krill.

And a desperate Infelice says that she is here to prevent this very moment:
Broken or triumphant in the past, you would not have returned to the Land. You would not now hold white gold and the Staff of Law. Nor would you approach Loric's krill in Andelain accompanied by Wraiths. You would not be driven by mistaken love to bring about the end of all things.

Linden just blows her off....

And Infelice tries again:
Have you heard me? We stand now at the last crisis of the Earth. If you do not turn aside, you will be broken indeed. Your remorse will surpass your strength to bear it.

Again, Linden blows her off, and calls out to Covenant.

In answer, two figures come. They are Sunder and Hollian. They do not look or speak to Linden. They take Anele and his Ranyhyn away.

Then another of Linden's dead comes - Grimmand Honninscrave, the Captain of Starfare's Gem. He takes away the living Giants.

Infelice tries once again:
These are your dead. Their love for you is not forgotten. Yet they shun you. They seek to spare their descendants the peril of your intent. If you will not heed them, heed me.

And the Harrow even tries:
You have also been made blind, lady...There is a Kevin's Dirt of the soul as there is of the flesh...

She calls again for Covenant.

But she gets her dead haruchai, Cail, Ceer, and Hergrom, among others that she knew in the time of the Second Chrons, instead.

But Stave and the Masters stay. Stave tells Linden that other spirits are coming, spirits which cannot be denied, and who will come to make sure that Linden is able to make her choice freely. Her other dead are clearing the way for them.

Also, the dead cannot speak to Linden at this time and place.

This reminds me so much of the Trial of Silence at Mithil Stonedown in The Wounded Land. Covenant and Linden were put to trial in a bizarre way where no one would talk to them. Their words and actions would prove their innocence or guilt.

And so the dead put Linden on trial.

It turns out that the spirits who can command the dead are the four great High Lords of antiquity - Berek, Damelon, Loric, and Kevin.

And this about Damelon:
As he aged he put on girth: Dead he implied the bulk of mountains against the background of Andelain's darkness and the black heavens. To Linden's shaken stare, he replied with a beatific smile.

A large man with a beautiful smile - can there be any doubt left at all that Donaldson has been rummaging through old photo albums at the Watch? I think he pays more attention to the Watch and the members there than he is willing to admit. As this description of Damelon prooves.

And I must stop at this point; time to head in to work. More later, unless someone else wishes to finish up - if that is the case, I will not mind.


[/spoiler]


to be continued...

Tags: Stephen R. Donaldson, Fatal Revenant