Home of the Secret Keeper

Ooops.

So, obviously, my semester is in full swing now (just started Week 6) and free time has been in short supply most weeks. In addition to that, I'm preparing to test for my 2nd degree black belt on this weekend, so there have been some extra prep classes for those students who are participating (testing to 1st, 2nd and/or 3rd deg), which has meant traipsing out to PA on weeknights instead of the weekend, like I usually prefer to do, and that cuts more into my study time because even though the drive time is the same, regardless, those prep classes run longer than typical classes. I also had to research and write a short essay (mine happened to be ~1k words) on the history of TKD (the required topic for 2nd degree), so I had to shoehorn that in with my regular schoolwork, too.

In general, however, life has been pretty routine: subbing, library volunteering, visiting my dad, TKD, school, taking Two to/from work, trying to get him set up with the preliminary stuff for his entrance to JWU in the fall (note to child: I am more than happy to sort through emails and figure out what needs doing. I am happy to help you read anything that's confusing. But YOU will do the work. Not me.) talking to MiniPlu every couple of days, etc etc. Jade has, thankfully, mostly recovered from her ACL injury and we're allowed to start building her up to regular walks again. Oh, and last weekend she turned 7!

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Our weather has been all over the place the past couple of weeks, with days where the windchill is far below freezing, and other days when you can go out in a long-sleeve shirt and no sweater or jacket. Our crocuses (croci?) started blooming early and are, no doubt, very confused. We're in the midst of a couple of those warmer days, peaking on Wed with forecast temps of 65F/18C. But on Sat morning, when I have to go for an outdoor pre-dawn run (only about a mile/1.6km, but still) with the group as part of our belt test? Current forecast is for 18F/-7.7C. Here's hoping there's no wind, or it'll be even worse. FML.

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Movies: I saw Encanto a couple of weeks ago on Disney+ and, as with so many people, immediately fell in love with the music and the visual details. :D

Broadway: Two and I went to see the musical Six on Broadway at the end of Jan - his generous Christmas present to me. We had a fun day, and the musical itself was a BLAST. Go listen to the soundtrack, it's awesome. We're taking MiniPlu to see it in June.

Books: Obviously, all my reading has been for school lately, except for readalouds with Two, and the audiobook of Autoboyography, which magically showed up when I opened my Audible account. I guess at the time it came free with my Kindle edition? I dunno. Not complaining, though!

Read Aloud: "Playing the Palace" (sweet and hilarious m/m), "If This Gets Out" (boyband romance, m/m) and ... I can't think if there's been anything else. Just recently started "Here's To Us".

For school:

Choose Your Own Adventure: 8th Grade Witch (graphic novel) by Andrew E.C. Gaska: ( Collapse )

Meet Cute Diary by Emery Lee: ( Collapse )

White Smoke by Tiffany D Jackson: ( Collapse )

Rolling Warrior by Judith Heumann. ( Collapse ) Recommend!

Wake by Rebecca Hall (graphic novel): ( Collapse )

A Face for Picasso by Ariel Henley. ( Collapse )

Words In My Hands by Asphyxia (Australian Title: "Future Girl"). ( Collapse ) Recommend.

A Pho Love Story by Loan Le ( Collapse )

I'm almost done with my current audiobook, a nonfiction story called From a Whisper to a Rallying Cry about a Chinese-American 20-something, Victor Chin, being killed with a baseball bat by a white guy a week before his (Victor's) wedding in 1982. While there's never any doubt about who killed him, the white guy gets off super-light at his trial for manslaughter. An appeal to the judge to reconsider fails, but then Victor's friends and family convene a second trial for civil rights abuse, saying the crime was racially motivated. But was it? Or was it just a drunken brawl that got out of hand? Up until this point, there hadn't ever been a civil rights claim against an Asian American, only against Black people, which is what made this whole case so groundbreaking. The author has done a good job of presenting multiple sides. I actually don't know what I think - whether it was racially motivated or not. If you like legal cases, civil rights, true crime - any of that - I recommend this.

And now that an hour and a half have gone by, I need to crash. But now that it's after midnight, let me wish all of you a very happy Twos-Day! (Tuesday 2/22/22 aka 22/2/22)

Today we took MiniPlu back to college. The only bright spot was that there was pretty much zero traffic all the way down or back (about 210 miles/338km each way), including across the GW Bridge in New York, so that was a downright miracle! Unless the fall, when we knew we'd see her in a month for parent's weekend, and then Thanksgiving, and then Christmas (plus she came home mid-late Sept, for a weekend), right now we're not sure when we'll next see her. She doesn't have any long weekends, only spring break in mid-March. The problem is, that's exactly when MY spring break (for grad school) is, and we were thinking of going back to OR then so I wouldn't have to juggle school and house at the same time (like I did in October). But then we wouldn't see her at all.

As with many colleges, MHC has made the decision to hold virtual classes for the first two weeks. But, honestly, the decision is kind of dumb because, unlike last Jan when classes were virtual and everything else was closed (or virtual) as well, so students were basically isolated in their rooms all the time (except when they picked up their takeout food from the dining hall), right now the only thing is that classes are virtual and the dining hall is takeout like before - but the gym is open, the library is open, some of the academic buildings are open, students are allowed to visit each other in their dorms - I mean, what's the point of having virtual classes if students can gather everywhere else?? Masks are required indoors, regardless.

Whatever. At least MiniPlu isn't alone this January - she has her roommate and they get along great. And she can go to the gym to burn off steam, too.

My grad school classes started this past Tues, the day after Two's birthday. It looks like I didn't get the HS job (which I'm honestly ok with) - the middle school librarian told me yesterday that they'd readvertised the job - so I don't have to worry about needing to drop one of the classes in order to make it work with a f/t job. And I honestly wasn't sure I was ready to quit subbing yet, so I can keep doing that for a bit longer.

Oh, and speaking of Two's birthday, here's my review of the movie we saw that day: ( Collapse )

So, yeah, there's my rant. Loved most of the movie. Hated the entire premise of the "solution."

My reading has slowed way down since we came home, a fact that I find concerning given the punishing pace required by the YA Lit class (3 books per week, although each week one of them is either a graphic novel or a novel in verse, so it's a quicker read). Although I missed my kids and pets like crazy, I did really like having just ONE sole task to work on - paint - rather than being pulled in a million directions like I am at home. OR made it much easier to get reading done, either at night, or while I was listening/painting.

I have, at least, managed to read "The Witch Owl Parliament" aka "The Clockwork Cuandera Book 1" - a YA graphic novel that didn't do ANYTHING for me at all. I like the idea of a graphic novel that incorporates Hispanic legends, and I have no objection to alternative versions of the US (rather like Flora Segunda) but I found the plot confusing at first, and the black and red illustrations just didn't remotely appeal to me. It made everything and everyone seem kind of villainous (which is partly why it was hard for me to figure out what was going on, plotwise). So, this was a definite "meh" and my least favorite for that week's reading.

I also finished Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo by a combination of Kindle (I had heard good things about this book so had snapped it up as a Kindle DotD about a month ago) and Audible (half price since I already owned the book) so that I could switch back and forth depending on whether I had time to read, vs driving a car. I admit, it's pretty miraculous the way Kindle and Audible track each other, and automatically send you to the most current point, no matter which version you were last using. As for the book itself - I liked it, and I didn't. ( Collapse )

Ugh, I swear it was just 11p a little bit ago. How did it get so late? Again? Argh.

Back at home again, at last.

We were really nervous about how the journey back would go. There is exactly ONE commercial flight in and out of North Bend, OR this time of year, via SFO (in summer there's also one in and out via Denver), and the connection to our cross-country flight was about 40 mins if everything was on time. Every day we were checking flightaware.com to see how the daily equivalent of each flight was faring, given the thousands of Omicron-related cancellations going on. The flight out of OR was cancelled a couple of times, and delayed a couple of times (which would have meant missing our cross-country flight, except for the one time THAT flight was ALSO delayed). The cross-country flight was also cancelled once. So, yeah, we were crossing all fingers and toes. Thankfully, our flight left OR on time - actually a smidge early, and although we had to briefly circle before landing at SFO, and our arrival gate moved a little further away from the next departing gate, we had plenty of time to make it. And - belief it or not, our luggage made it, too. The cross-country flight was unbelievably empty - like ... maybe 20% full? Maybe? I haven't seen a flight that empty since, like, 1988, when my dad and I flew to NL to see my Oma. I am astonished they didn't cancel us, but grateful. As Will pointed out, maybe they just really needed the plane to be at Newark the following morning for its next flight. We landed at 12:30a local time last night/this morning, and were walking in the front door before 2a. Yes, it was a late night, but given jetlag, we weren't really even that wiped. So, huzzah, it all went totally smoothly.

Today, the flight out of OR was cancelled again. Dodged a bullet there!

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We fell in love with the little whipsnake in our driveway, which showed up just about every day to hang out on the gravel and ignore us with the fervent hope that we were ignoring it. When one of us would have to move a vehicle, we'd often have the other person stand over Snakey so nobody would drive over it. Is it sad that I miss him/her? S/He was just so cute!

Since arriving back home we've both unpacked, I did laundry, did a TINY bit of putting Christmas decorations away, paid some bills and dealt with some other bureaucracy, took Two to/from work and made dinner.

Books I have finished:

Fat Chance, Charlie Vega by Crystal Maldonado (audiobook). ( Collapse )

Goodbye Paradise by Sabrina Bowen (audiobook). ( Collapse )

A Gentleman's Position by KJ Charles (audiobook). ( Collapse )

The Troubled Girls of Dragomir Academy by Anne Ursu. Like Starfish and possibly The Last Cuentista, this is more of an upper middle-grade reader, rather than YA. ( Collapse )

The Cost of Knowing by Brittney Morris (audiobook). ( Collapse )

The Charm Offensive by Alison Cochrun. I took a break from school-related YA reading to read this book, which I bought as a Kindle DotD awhile back and have been DYING to read. ( Collapse )

So, now it's the 13th of January and I've read 11 books already, thanks to audiobooks and a lot of painting. I'm trying to read as much as I can NOW, because my semester starts on Tues and ... yikes!

Incidentally, the high school library gig was supposed to start this coming Tues, and when I hadn't heard anything yet, I assumed they must have gone with another candidate. Eh, it's fine. But when I texted the outgoing librarian with my assumption, she said, nope, they still haven't picked anyone yet. This is frustrating because I might have to withdraw from one class if I *do* get hired and, honestly, right now I kind of want to say, "It's fine, hire someone else" but I'm afraid if I say that, they never WILL hire me to be a librarian for the elementary school in a few years. Ermph. I don't know what to do.

Ok, I should probably get to bed and try to get back on Eastern time again. (It's 9p PST right now. Am I sleepy? Of course not!) On the other hand, after two weeks on an air mattress - even a nice air mattress - I am so SO glad to be back in my own bed again!

Tomorrow I'm taking my memory-impaired father to the dentist. Fun times for everyone! :-P

I'm pretty sure there's a paint nite I did over fall break that I never found time to post but I'm just going to forget about that at this point.

The main point of this post is: I introduced my mom to Paint Nite, and she loved it!

On Dec 28, our last day in CA, my mom and I did this painting together:


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She and I were both pleased with how hers had turned out, especially since it was her very first one! More importantly, she discovered it was fun, and do-able. She did another Paint Nite on her own around New Year's, when I did not have time, and managed that one all on her own. It's a bit trickier when she has to do it on her own, as her only mobile device is her phone, and she has the mini iPhone (at her insistence) at that. Pity there isn't an easy way to add a craft table next to the computer table in the spare room (there absolutely is no room) because then she could follow along on a bigger screen.

Then, tonight, we both signed up to do "Cold Starry Night":



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As a final note, Will discovered a little snake - I think a whipsnake? - in our driveway this afternoon. When he had to move the truck around, I had to stand right over the wee thing so he wouldn't run over it! For those who aren't squeamish, you can see pics of the snake here and here (with my hand - yes, that's paint all over my fingers - for size comparison).

We've been in OR a week now, and while it doesn't SEEM like we've done a lot, I suppose we have? I've washed the walls in the living room, kitchen (except behind appliances that will need to be moved), the hall, both bathrooms, and my dad's bedroom, and the ceilings of the hall and both bathrooms (Will has done or is in the process of doing the other ceilings). After painstakingly putting on Frog Tape around every bit of window trim, door trim, and bottom trim, I've cut in the Kilz (the pre-paint "paint" that we're using to seal in any lingering smoke stains and odors) for two coats in the living room, hallway and my dad's bathroom, and am working on his bedroom now. Will has rolled 2 coats of Kilz on the living room and hall walls and ceilings.

We've also cleaned the gutters of probably at least five years of leaf and apple sludge (in some cases I was literally digging it out with a trowel), found and fixed the roof leak - a vent cap came off - trimmed a bunch of overgrowth that was crowding the long driveway, and dismantled the decaying homemade greenhouse lean-to off the front porch.

So ... progress?

It has rained quite a lot - we've had to make good use of rare opportunities to get outdoors things done. We had a wind/rainstorm a few nights ago, resulting in our being without either internet (which went down first) or power for most of Monday. Thankfully, both were restored in time for me to cook dinner (and to get back online to video-chat with the family). Also, since we're already only using the woodstove for heat, not having any electric heat made absolutely no difference whatsoever, and we were perfectly content with the wood fire. The only real bummer was a lack of hot water, but thankfully that was back by the time we took our nightly shower.

Meanwhile, through the magic of borrowed e-books (Libby app) and audiobooks (I joined Audible for this purpose, so I could listen while I cleaned and painted the walls), I've already finished FIVE books this year, including the three I had listed "in progress" on my year-end book meme. Granted, two were pretty quick reads, but still!

Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline Boulley: ( Collapse )

The Last Cuentista by Donna Barba Higuera: ( Collapse )

Huda F Are You? by Huda Fahmy: ( Collapse )

Starfish by Lisa Fipps: ( Collapse )

The other book I finished was another audiobook. I'm out of Audible credits right now (you only get one a month) and audiobooks are INSANELY expensive - and also, alas - my public library does not subscribe to m(any) so I can't borrow any. So, in the meantime, I'm listening to books from the "free" section. I might eventually crack and buy another one from the YA class list, but not yet.

A Fashionable Indulgence by KJ Charles: ( Collapse )

And ... now it's past time for bed. I'm doing a Paint Nite (yes, from here) tomorrow evening so I want to make sure I have a productive day before that point. But I've been averaging at least 8 hours of sleep a night on this trip so far (including the CA part) and it's SO NICE.

I've already watched the ball drop in Times Square at midnight (Eastern Time) - we FaceTimed the family so we could celebrate with them. But it's still 2021 here on the West Coast, so I'm squeezing this in just in time:

1. What did you do in 2021 that you'd never done before?
Handed in assignments mere minutes before the deadlines. :P. Driven the length of the Road to Hana, and also to the top of Haleakala. Worn masks (two masks) on a plane.

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I hope we all have a safe, happy, healthy 2022. I mean, we all wished that last year after the hellhole that was 2020 and I'm pretty sure 2021 continued to suck for most people. Ending the year with the death of Betty White did not help at all. But hope springs eternal, right? RIGHT?
♥

Apparently when I posted my 2020 Book List to DW, it didn't cross-post to LJ and I didn't realize it, so I never posted here at LJ.

2018 books
2017 books
2016 books
2015 books
2014 books
2013 books
2012 books
2011 books
2010 books
2009 books
2008 books
2007 books
2006 books
2005 books

1. The Burning Issue of the Day (Lady Hardcastle #5) by T.E. Kinsey
2. A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking by T Kingfisher
3-4 His Royal Secret by Lilah Pace* (read twice)
5-6 His Royal Favorite by Lilah Pace* (read twice)
7. Finding Home by lanai
8. Silver in the Wood by Emily Tesh (short)
9. The Captive Kingdom by Jennifer Nielsen
10. The False Prince by Jennifer Nielsen*
11. Cemetery Boys by Aidan Thomas
12. The Gravity of Us by Phil Stamper
13. Dodger by PTerry
14. Only Mostly Devastated by Sophie Gonzales
15. Death Beside the Seaside (Lady Hardcastle #6) by T.E. Kinsey
16. Chain of Iron by Cassie Clare
17. Two Rogues Make a Right by Cat Sebastian
18. Guardian Spirits by Jordan L. Hawk
19. How to Be Remy Cameron by Julian Winters*
20. The Fatal Flying Affair (Lady Hardcastle #7) by T.E. Kinsey
21. Him by Sarina Bowen & Elle Kennedy
22. Fifteen Hundred Miles from the Sun by Jonny Garza Villa
23. Some Girls Do by Jennifer Dugan
24. Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston* (plus partial re-reads)

Middle Grade books read for myself OR for children’s lit class:
25. Ivy Aberdeen’s Letter to the World by Ashley Herring Blake
26. Amari and the Night Brothers by B.B. Alston
27. Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library by Chris Grabenstein
28. The Curious Case of Origami Yoda by Tom Angelberger*
29. George Melissa's Story by Alex Gino*
30. Rick by Alex Gino
31. The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate
31.5 Princess in Black by Shannon Hale (super short book)

Graphic Novels for children’s lit class:
32. All's Faire in Middle School by Victoria Jamieson
33. When Stars are Scattered by Victoria Jamieson and Omar Mohamed
34. Class Act by Jerry Craft
35. Lunch Lady and the Cyborg Substitute by Jarrett Krosoczka
37. Sticky Burr: Adventures in Burrwood Forest by John Lechner (super short book) (half from 31.5 and half here = one whole book)

Books in Verse (and therefore quicker reads) read for myself OR for children’s lit class
38. The Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds
39. Red, White and Whole by Rajai LaRocca
40. Before the Ever After by Jacqueline Woodson
41. The One Thing You'd Save by Linda Sue Park

Read aloud: (many of which I would have read anyway)
42. The Symptoms of Being Human
43. Chainbreaker by Tara Sim*
44. Firestarter by Tara Sim
45. If I Was Your Girl by Meredith Russo
46. Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender
47. One Little Word by F.N. Manning
48. Running With Lions by Julian Winters
49. Spy School: Revolution by Stuart Gibbs
50. Kate in Waiting by Becky Albertalli
51. One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston
52. Any Way the Wind Blows by Rainbow Rowell
53. She Drives Me Crazy by Kelly Quindlen
54. Dear Evan Hansen (Novel version)
55. Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld*


In progress:
Daughter of the Deep by Rick Riordan (began before I knew YA reading list)
Huda F Are You? by Huda Fahmy (graphic novel, assigned but I wanted to read it anyway)
Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley
The Last Cuentista by Donna Barba Higuera (audiobook, listening while washing and painting walls)

So, I realize that after posting the drama of getting my meds replaced while I was in Hawaii in AUGUST I never really posted a proper update since. And for that - man, I am so sorry. The fall semester just about killed me. So, now that we're at the end of 2021, I'm going to try to give a brief bullet list update.

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We've been doing our best to be safe during Omicron, going back to double-masking or N95/KN95s during our trip, and will likely continue when we get home again (I was already double-masking again when subbing), and meeting people outside when possible. CA requires masks indoors and proof of vaccination for dining (had to show it for our free breakfast buffet in the hotel) and most people we've seen have been compliant. We are DYING to see Spiderman: No Way Home and (Two and I) want to see the new West Side Story, but we're not ready for movie theaters yet.

Really struggling not to feel completely fatalistic and like giving up and curling up in a ball because of Omicron. I feel like that scene from Princess Bride:
"We'll never survive!"
"Nonsense. You're just saying that because no one ever has."

I'd like to promise I'll do better with posting in the new year, but I'm not hopeful. :P My apologies to all the friends who have not had the attention they deserve.

Because piperki told me to:

1. Where is your cell phone? Near
2. Describe your boyfriend/girlfriend/husband/wife/lover Supportive
3. Your hair? Graying
4. Your mother? Frustrating
5. Your father? Oblivious
6. Your favorite item? Kindle
7. Your dream last night? Forgotten
8. Your favorite drink? Water
9. Your dream car? Reliable
10. The room you are in? Crowded
11. Your ex? Gay
12. Your fear? Longcovid
13. What do you want to be in 10 years? Librarian
14. Who did you hang out with last night? Macbook
15. What you're not? Rested
19. The last thing you did? Fold
20. What are you wearing? Jammies
21. Your favorite book? Multiple
22. The last thing you ate? Cornbread
23. Your life? Busy
24. Your mood? Stressed
25. Your friends? Far
26. What are you thinking about right now? Bed
27. Your car? Toothless
28. What are you doing at the moment?Meme-ing
29. Your summer? Past
30. Your relationship status? Mawwiage
31. What is on your tv? Dust
32. When is the last time you laughed? Today
33. Last time you cried? Uh....
34. School? AAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!!!!!

Tag: brumeier. *g*

So, we've been here in Hawaii for just over a week, and have 1.5 days left in our vacation. Now, as you would rightly assume, we've had a pretty good time here - nice weather, gorgeous scenery, too much food. Rough life. Yes, a few wrinkles here and there, but overall - not too shabby. ;-)

Except for one thing.

tl;dr - I have spent WAY too much time on hold on the phone during this trip.

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So, yes, there have been beaches and a luau and gorgeous scenery and, yes, some grumpy travel issues here and there. But also this huge thing that has dominated almost our entire trip. Not fun. At all.