No, I take that back.
I hate tax time.
For not only do I have to worry about having all my necessary tax paperwork for DH and myself, I have to be sure to have those for our son. I know, maybe you don't do that for your adult kid, but I do. It's how I roll.
PLUS for the past couple of years, I've been doing that for my mother. Believe me, her taxes are still more complicated than ours AND son's put together.
Sudden updates:
I was wrong. Son's taxes (Minnesota) turned out to be much more complicated than ours and mom's put together. That's the bad part. The good part is he'll get THOUSANDS back. I still hate March.
I also hate March because there's been dying going on. My dad's sister called and said her younger (and last remaining) brother died suddenly today. I hadn't seen him in several years. She said he'd been telling folks he was ready to go. He was the black sheep. Not sure he was estranged from all of his children, but at least some of them.
I've been putting it off, but there's other news. The bad news is that Rosie passed away earlier this month. The good news is that there's a new Maltese puppy in the neighborhood!
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Monday, March 26, 2012
The Complaining Chicken
At the end of last year - we heard some new noise in our neighborhood.
For a pretty urban burb of Honolulu, we have quite a wide array of wildlife.
The noisemakers were the two new hens - big, beautiful Rhode Island Reds - across the way. But some time early this year, there was suddenly only one. I've been listening for the remaining one, which can sometimes be heard exclaiming loudly - hence the Complaining name - and even squawking the chicken equivalent of bloody murder.
The chicken owners have a nice big yard the chicken can strut around in, but they also have a nice big grill and big parties with beverages and (I assume) food. So, at those times when it's much too quiet, I can be heard exclaiming loudly, "Where's the cheecken?" wondering if it's headed for the grill. And the DH will humor me and listen until he can reassure me it's STILL complaining
So I wasn't surprised when I read in Honolulu Magazine that Asagi Hatchery is the "Best Place to Pick Up Chicks". Yes, people want to know where their food came from, including eggs and chickens. I remember my own grandmother picking out a chicken, chopping its head off and having to run after it when it struggled free. And the plucking that followed.
Of course, the Complaining Chicken may well be complaining over the loss of her companion. And yes, the Complaining Chicken reminds me of a children's book: The Interrupting Chicken by David Ezra Stein.
For a pretty urban burb of Honolulu, we have quite a wide array of wildlife.
The noisemakers were the two new hens - big, beautiful Rhode Island Reds - across the way. But some time early this year, there was suddenly only one. I've been listening for the remaining one, which can sometimes be heard exclaiming loudly - hence the Complaining name - and even squawking the chicken equivalent of bloody murder.
The chicken owners have a nice big yard the chicken can strut around in, but they also have a nice big grill and big parties with beverages and (I assume) food. So, at those times when it's much too quiet, I can be heard exclaiming loudly, "Where's the cheecken?" wondering if it's headed for the grill. And the DH will humor me and listen until he can reassure me it's STILL complaining
So I wasn't surprised when I read in Honolulu Magazine that Asagi Hatchery is the "Best Place to Pick Up Chicks". Yes, people want to know where their food came from, including eggs and chickens. I remember my own grandmother picking out a chicken, chopping its head off and having to run after it when it struggled free. And the plucking that followed.
Of course, the Complaining Chicken may well be complaining over the loss of her companion. And yes, the Complaining Chicken reminds me of a children's book: The Interrupting Chicken by David Ezra Stein.
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
What I'm Reading - March
Part of my job is to read book reviews in order to decide whether I should buy the books and ebooks. I borrowed the children's book, Earwig and the Witch by Diana Wynne Jones, based on editorial reviews from children's and young adult journals. This was disappointing. While I liked Paul O. Zelinsky's drawings, the story was one of those that raced to the finish, and took a lot of shortcuts to do so. Strange, by the way, that the Kindle version seems to have different (and less charming) illustrations.
A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness has a much better resolved story. This young adult book contains very dark themes: nightmares, nightmarish reality, mother with cancer, acting out, bullying at school. It was very realistic and the excellent illustrations by Jim Kay add to the foreboding tone of the book. The story is based on one from Siobhan Dowd, who herself succumbed to cancer. I recommend it. But then, I do like dark themes in books and films. You're warned!
The Twitter Book by Tim O'Reilly and Sarah Milstein. I've only been twittering since late last year.
Confession time: I only signed up for Twitter because I wanted to track the food trucks so I could get a break from home lunches!
Back on topic: the only thing I got out of the Twitter Book was you should avoid starting a tweet with an @ address unless you only want that recipient to get it. Thanks for that. Everything else I learned about Twitter was on my own! Not that I know it all; and I sometimes fail. Hey - those icons on my Droid touchscreen are often too small for my fingers!
The Pot and How to Use It: The Mystery and Romance of the Rice Cooker by Roger Ebert. I'm still reading this, but something tells me I won't find a recipe in it that I'll have to make. I am enjoying his writing; here's a sample from Chapter 6, page 21: "There are countless rice cooker cookbooks. We don't want no stinking cookbooks." So I guess this is more of a guidebook. And it's with relief that I read I didn't have to buy a thousand-dollar rice cooker with memory and fuzzy logic. I can use my basic 8-cup model with two functions: Cook and Warm!.
Ebert has opinions on everything, from hot sauce to oatmeal. About the microwave variety, he says it's a "dangerous travesty of the healthy food it pretends to be" and full of fat, salt and oils: "You can die of a heart attack during a perfect bowel movement."
Well, maybe he has the right to write that, as he has the cojones to write a (sort of) cookbook when he can't eat. (Health issues.)
As soon as I've written it, I'll add a link to my new blogpost about what I just cooked in my rice cooker - it'll be on my other blog.
But for now, I'm off to the Blaisdell Farmers' Market - to get my fresh local veggies, and to eat1
A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness has a much better resolved story. This young adult book contains very dark themes: nightmares, nightmarish reality, mother with cancer, acting out, bullying at school. It was very realistic and the excellent illustrations by Jim Kay add to the foreboding tone of the book. The story is based on one from Siobhan Dowd, who herself succumbed to cancer. I recommend it. But then, I do like dark themes in books and films. You're warned!
The Twitter Book by Tim O'Reilly and Sarah Milstein. I've only been twittering since late last year.
Confession time: I only signed up for Twitter because I wanted to track the food trucks so I could get a break from home lunches!
Back on topic: the only thing I got out of the Twitter Book was you should avoid starting a tweet with an @ address unless you only want that recipient to get it. Thanks for that. Everything else I learned about Twitter was on my own! Not that I know it all; and I sometimes fail. Hey - those icons on my Droid touchscreen are often too small for my fingers!
The Pot and How to Use It: The Mystery and Romance of the Rice Cooker by Roger Ebert. I'm still reading this, but something tells me I won't find a recipe in it that I'll have to make. I am enjoying his writing; here's a sample from Chapter 6, page 21: "There are countless rice cooker cookbooks. We don't want no stinking cookbooks." So I guess this is more of a guidebook. And it's with relief that I read I didn't have to buy a thousand-dollar rice cooker with memory and fuzzy logic. I can use my basic 8-cup model with two functions: Cook and Warm!.
Ebert has opinions on everything, from hot sauce to oatmeal. About the microwave variety, he says it's a "dangerous travesty of the healthy food it pretends to be" and full of fat, salt and oils: "You can die of a heart attack during a perfect bowel movement."
Well, maybe he has the right to write that, as he has the cojones to write a (sort of) cookbook when he can't eat. (Health issues.)
As soon as I've written it, I'll add a link to my new blogpost about what I just cooked in my rice cooker - it'll be on my other blog.
But for now, I'm off to the Blaisdell Farmers' Market - to get my fresh local veggies, and to eat1
Sunday, March 4, 2012
Art @ the Capitol
Confession time:
I've avoided First Friday in downtown Honolulu for at least five years. Why?
But I convinced the DH we should go because the legislators AND the governor and lieutenant governor opened their offices to the public from 5 pm to 7 pm this past Friday, March 2nd.
He was my reluctant companion, but he perked up considerably when he saw the quality and variety of artwork displayed in the offices. A free cup of coffee and some great chamber music by young musicians helped, too.
In Hawaii, one percent of the cost of a new state building goes toward art, per the Art in State Buildings law - the first of its kind in the nation. Works are commissioned and this is overseen by the Hawaii State Foundation on Culture & the Arts.
What most people don't know is that there is competition for art between the legislators "for what is available", as a staffer said. Even the gov and lt. gov have picked their own artwork for their offices and reception areas.
Something that impressed us was the variety of taste displayed: from Rep. Karl Rhoads (D) Dist. 28 - restrained and mostly monochromatic prints, to Rep. Henry Aquino (D) Dist. 35 - with more than one painting of sugar mills, to Rep. Tom Brower (D) Dist. 23, whose entire office was full of Mondrian wall cover, primary colors, chrome, Plexiglas and a construction zone desk. Let's not forget Rep. Mark Hashem (D) Dist. 18 who has decorated his office with his own choice of kimono and samurai sword replicas, in addition to prints and watercolors.
OK, we did visit offices of Rep. Gen Ward (R) Dist. 17, who did ask us if we're constituents (we're not). He had artist Kahi Ching talk about the coconut wood sculpture in his office. We also popped into the office of Rep. Barbara Marumoto (R) Dist. 19, where the DH was reluctant to go in until he recognized one of her staff.
Senate President Shan Tsutsui's - (D) Sen. Dist. 4 - reception and office areas wowed us. Let's just say there are FIVE Tadashi Sato works, TWO Toshiko Takaezu ceramics, and MORE. There are too many others we saw to mention them all. We have been to other offices during the legislative session, but have not gotten past reception. This was a unique opportunity to see even the senators' and representatives' private offices.
We spoke at some length with Rep. Mark Takai (D) Dist. 34 and Sen. Brian Taniguchi (D) Sen. Dist. 10, who kindly ushered us in, even though it was after 7 pm and his staffers were starving! Art @ the Capitol was his idea, 4 years ago. As staffers reminded us, "this is YOUR art". And it is.
Here's a video - there are six in all - of Sen. Taniguchi talking about one of the artworks in his office. He asked where we'd heard about Art @ the Capitol. I said I'd seen something about it online. Later, I recalled reading about it in MidWeek. Later still, I remembered a retweet from @jayparasco from @hihousedems . Would've been good if @hawaiisenate had tweeted the event, too!
Mahalo to the legislators who took the time to talk to us, and to show us their favorite paintings, photographs and sculptures. Most of all, thank you to the staffers who greeted us warmly and invited us in.
I've avoided First Friday in downtown Honolulu for at least five years. Why?
- Too many people
- Too little parking
- Drunken people looking for freebies
- Too hard to see the art and entertainment
But I convinced the DH we should go because the legislators AND the governor and lieutenant governor opened their offices to the public from 5 pm to 7 pm this past Friday, March 2nd.
He was my reluctant companion, but he perked up considerably when he saw the quality and variety of artwork displayed in the offices. A free cup of coffee and some great chamber music by young musicians helped, too.
In Hawaii, one percent of the cost of a new state building goes toward art, per the Art in State Buildings law - the first of its kind in the nation. Works are commissioned and this is overseen by the Hawaii State Foundation on Culture & the Arts.
What most people don't know is that there is competition for art between the legislators "for what is available", as a staffer said. Even the gov and lt. gov have picked their own artwork for their offices and reception areas.
Something that impressed us was the variety of taste displayed: from Rep. Karl Rhoads (D) Dist. 28 - restrained and mostly monochromatic prints, to Rep. Henry Aquino (D) Dist. 35 - with more than one painting of sugar mills, to Rep. Tom Brower (D) Dist. 23, whose entire office was full of Mondrian wall cover, primary colors, chrome, Plexiglas and a construction zone desk. Let's not forget Rep. Mark Hashem (D) Dist. 18 who has decorated his office with his own choice of kimono and samurai sword replicas, in addition to prints and watercolors.
OK, we did visit offices of Rep. Gen Ward (R) Dist. 17, who did ask us if we're constituents (we're not). He had artist Kahi Ching talk about the coconut wood sculpture in his office. We also popped into the office of Rep. Barbara Marumoto (R) Dist. 19, where the DH was reluctant to go in until he recognized one of her staff.
Senate President Shan Tsutsui's - (D) Sen. Dist. 4 - reception and office areas wowed us. Let's just say there are FIVE Tadashi Sato works, TWO Toshiko Takaezu ceramics, and MORE. There are too many others we saw to mention them all. We have been to other offices during the legislative session, but have not gotten past reception. This was a unique opportunity to see even the senators' and representatives' private offices.
We spoke at some length with Rep. Mark Takai (D) Dist. 34 and Sen. Brian Taniguchi (D) Sen. Dist. 10, who kindly ushered us in, even though it was after 7 pm and his staffers were starving! Art @ the Capitol was his idea, 4 years ago. As staffers reminded us, "this is YOUR art". And it is.
Here's a video - there are six in all - of Sen. Taniguchi talking about one of the artworks in his office. He asked where we'd heard about Art @ the Capitol. I said I'd seen something about it online. Later, I recalled reading about it in MidWeek. Later still, I remembered a retweet from @jayparasco from @hihousedems . Would've been good if @hawaiisenate had tweeted the event, too!
Mahalo to the legislators who took the time to talk to us, and to show us their favorite paintings, photographs and sculptures. Most of all, thank you to the staffers who greeted us warmly and invited us in.
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Don't Come to the Library, Part Four of WTDTYiLS
Don't come to the library for a play date. The library is NOT a playground. It's not meant for playing chase master, throwing balls and toys (including the stuffed toys who live quietly in the Children's Section), drinking apple juice (and if you asked me I would tell you that's full of sugar) and blowing soap bubbles. And why are the ADULTS taking the lead with the latter two?
If your children don't or won't behave, don't bring them to the library. It would be a kindness to the rest of us, patrons and staff alike, because we have to listen to them misbehave, cry and this is a pretty good sign they don't want to be there.
Don't come to the library if you think you are special and you're exempt from the rules and are unable to follow them! Under my theory of control, there would be NO RULES if everyone behaved using common sense and thought about how their actions affect others.
So, DON'T tell your fellow browsers which books they should read and give them the plot summary of a whole list of books YOU think is required reading. Eventually, they get defensive and do the same to YOU, so eventually you'll have no fellow patrons to discuss with, and you may even turn to ~shudder~ me.
I never tell patrons what to read. I rarely read what other librarians suggest. My choices vary too much, and the writing needs to be as good as the story is compelling. The premise of readers' advisory is that the reader comes to you for advice, not that you just give it!
Don't come to the library if you expect the Internet connection on the computers to be consistent and fast. Sorry, they are consistently slow. If they happen to be fast, that is an anomaly and probably won't happen again. I said, the fact that they are fast, THAT is an ANOMALY. And don't expect the situation to improve with getting more computers. More computers just means more of a load on the Internet pipe!
And don't tell me you think hackers are keeping you from emailing the entire text of a news article to your 20 closest friends when you're sending them ONE at a TIME. I suggested that you send the link instead, but since I don't want to talk to you about hackers, you'll need to figure out bcc on your own! And if you ARE a diplomat, why do you spend so much time watching music videos?
Don't come to the library if you think your neighbors have implanted an RFID chip in you, because I'm pretty sure we can't help you. Even the science and tech section probably can't, and they know more about that stuff than I do!
Yes, this has been Part Four of What They Don't Teach You in Library School and I have personally experienced all of the above.
Part One
Part Two
Part Three
If your children don't or won't behave, don't bring them to the library. It would be a kindness to the rest of us, patrons and staff alike, because we have to listen to them misbehave, cry and this is a pretty good sign they don't want to be there.
Don't come to the library if you think you are special and you're exempt from the rules and are unable to follow them! Under my theory of control, there would be NO RULES if everyone behaved using common sense and thought about how their actions affect others.
So, DON'T tell your fellow browsers which books they should read and give them the plot summary of a whole list of books YOU think is required reading. Eventually, they get defensive and do the same to YOU, so eventually you'll have no fellow patrons to discuss with, and you may even turn to ~shudder~ me.
I never tell patrons what to read. I rarely read what other librarians suggest. My choices vary too much, and the writing needs to be as good as the story is compelling. The premise of readers' advisory is that the reader comes to you for advice, not that you just give it!
Don't come to the library if you expect the Internet connection on the computers to be consistent and fast. Sorry, they are consistently slow. If they happen to be fast, that is an anomaly and probably won't happen again. I said, the fact that they are fast, THAT is an ANOMALY. And don't expect the situation to improve with getting more computers. More computers just means more of a load on the Internet pipe!
And don't tell me you think hackers are keeping you from emailing the entire text of a news article to your 20 closest friends when you're sending them ONE at a TIME. I suggested that you send the link instead, but since I don't want to talk to you about hackers, you'll need to figure out bcc on your own! And if you ARE a diplomat, why do you spend so much time watching music videos?
Don't come to the library if you think your neighbors have implanted an RFID chip in you, because I'm pretty sure we can't help you. Even the science and tech section probably can't, and they know more about that stuff than I do!
Yes, this has been Part Four of What They Don't Teach You in Library School and I have personally experienced all of the above.
Part One
Part Two
Part Three
Monday, February 13, 2012
Another Recurring Dream/Nightmare
Proof that life/reading/anxieties all influence my unconscious!
I don't remember details; I do remember I was on a trip and staying in a room with two other people I didn't know at all. My luggage was searched and it was discovered that I had a device of some kind that was contraband. The travel part is recurring, and at its most benign, the dream is that I haven't packed comfortable shoes or enough clothing!
In the most recent nightmare, we were in China, and closely watched. Don't know how or if I got out of that situation!
But, here's evidence my reading does affect my dreams/nightmares.
I don't remember details; I do remember I was on a trip and staying in a room with two other people I didn't know at all. My luggage was searched and it was discovered that I had a device of some kind that was contraband. The travel part is recurring, and at its most benign, the dream is that I haven't packed comfortable shoes or enough clothing!
In the most recent nightmare, we were in China, and closely watched. Don't know how or if I got out of that situation!
But, here's evidence my reading does affect my dreams/nightmares.
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
February Reading: Dreams of Joy, Yuck: A Love Story, more
On the advice of one of the DH's cigar-smoking friends, I borrowed Lisa See's Dreams of Joy from the library. The DH read it first, in record time - about a week. When I started reading, I was dismayed to see how DUMB the heroine was, and was not sure I wanted to continue, as I could already predict her fate.
Side note: the cigar friend now has an iPad, reads all the time, and has discovered he can download eBooks via Overdrive, from the Hawaii State Public Library System. He's a convert and an evangelist, and is therefore apparently spending less time on his vices. Which we won't go into here!
The story is set in China in the 1950's, when the whiplash 180 degree turnarounds in Mao Zedong's policies have already sent intellectuals to the countryside for re-education, and the Great Leap Forward has begun. The main character, Joy, goes to China to see her ideals realized, and to find her father.
While the book was well-written, there were improbable turns of events and circumstances, and you could see where Joy's views were so unrealistic that she was headed for disaster. So, I'll recommend this, but with those caveats. And I've borrowed the previous book, Shanghai Girls.
_____
In this month of love and roses, I'm reading this book to the children who come to the library: Yuck: A Love Story, by Don Gillmor. Even at a young age, guys (like our hero) do dumb things to attract the attention of their objects of affection. Read this! It's FUN! For ages 6 to 106.
_____
I'm also reading Guys Read: Thriller, edited by Jon Scieszka - a collection of short stories by authors such as MT Anderson, Matt de la Pena, Anthony Horowitz, Walter Dean Myers, Maragaret Peterson Haddix, Jarrett J. Krosoczka, Gennifer Choldenko, Bruce Hale, James Patterson and Patrick Carman. I'm sure you'll recognize some names there, but check out some of the others!
Happy Reading!
Side note: the cigar friend now has an iPad, reads all the time, and has discovered he can download eBooks via Overdrive, from the Hawaii State Public Library System. He's a convert and an evangelist, and is therefore apparently spending less time on his vices. Which we won't go into here!
The story is set in China in the 1950's, when the whiplash 180 degree turnarounds in Mao Zedong's policies have already sent intellectuals to the countryside for re-education, and the Great Leap Forward has begun. The main character, Joy, goes to China to see her ideals realized, and to find her father.
While the book was well-written, there were improbable turns of events and circumstances, and you could see where Joy's views were so unrealistic that she was headed for disaster. So, I'll recommend this, but with those caveats. And I've borrowed the previous book, Shanghai Girls.
_____
In this month of love and roses, I'm reading this book to the children who come to the library: Yuck: A Love Story, by Don Gillmor. Even at a young age, guys (like our hero) do dumb things to attract the attention of their objects of affection. Read this! It's FUN! For ages 6 to 106.
_____
I'm also reading Guys Read: Thriller, edited by Jon Scieszka - a collection of short stories by authors such as MT Anderson, Matt de la Pena, Anthony Horowitz, Walter Dean Myers, Maragaret Peterson Haddix, Jarrett J. Krosoczka, Gennifer Choldenko, Bruce Hale, James Patterson and Patrick Carman. I'm sure you'll recognize some names there, but check out some of the others!
Happy Reading!
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