More January Reading

I'm a children's/young adult librarian. So, yes, I read children's books. But here are two that even adults will like:

Drawing from Memory by Allan Say. A memoir from the award-winning children's author/illustrator. Why is it that in so many of the books and articles I've read recently, the children are abandoned at a tender age by their parents - who are divorcing or going through some other crisis - and left to their own devices? That these children choose their own destinies and overcome so much is a testament to their strength, and their survival skills. Allan Say approaches the cartoonist he admires and becomes his apprentice. The book illustrates his life in Japan, and the forces which shape his success. Read it!

Award-winning llustrator Ed Young could not have had a more different childhood than Allan Say. In The House that Baba Built, he was surrounded by loving family, and encouraged to be creative. This memoir recreates - through photos and drawings - his childhood home and memories.

The events of our childhood shape the adults we become. In my own observation, we either follow our parents' direction or run far from it!

Read the books, and enjoy the illustrations.

Tell me about the books you're reading, as well as those that have influenced you.

Have you realized your parents' expectations, or have you traveled very different roads?

January: what I'm reading, have read

I'm trying to finish "Just My Type" by Simon Garfield. Unless you're in the graphic design field, or font-obsessed, this will be TMI about typefaces and their histories.

But this book has reminded me of my own BFA studies in this area - too long ago! I didn't have to look up any of the terminology, so I guess the larning stuck!

My takeaway? Steve Jobs and Apple and its designers - of fonts, too! - changed the dry type selection of the PC world by introducing a choice of new typefaces. But, like weaponry and prescription drugs, these can be used for evil or good.

Tell me what your favorite typeface is - and why - and I'll tell you mine.
_____

I'm exaggerating! Lets just say they can be used well or poorly.

I'm reading "Blood, Bones & Butter" by Gabrielle Hamilton. Rather, I'm wading through the Bathos, Blather & Blithe skipping over transitions so that you wonder how she got from point A to point B. I'm not sure I'll finish it. There has to be some good food talk, cooking and eating coming up, or I'm.giving.up.

And I rarely do give up on a book. Can all those celebuChefs - Batali, Bourdain, et al - be wrong in their gushing praise/hype?

Maybe. Stay tuned.

Tell me what you're reading!

My Husband Looks Like Someone Else, Part Three

And apparently, so do I.

But first, the DH. Two nights ago we had just walked into the Blaisdell Farmers' Market, when a nice lady said to my husband, "How you? You still walkin' your dog." DH: "I'm not who you think I am. I've got a cheap face!" Lady: "Wait, you gotta nice face." DH: "I don't have a dog!" Lady: "Oh, sorry. You have a nice evening!"

We could not stop laughing! This is the standing joke between us. I have started calling the DH "Blooks" in honor of Brooks Takenaka, of Hawaii Fishing Agency. (I'm just teasing him!) And sorry, Brooks, my husband is better looking!

About 2 weeks ago we were at a casual wine and cigar event when a woman I'd never met introduced herself and asked if we'd met at another gathering at a resort down the coast. Uh, no! We don't smoke $30 Davidoff cigars or drink single malt Scotch! I have never tasted Lagavulin or Laphroaig, and only had a taste from a bottle of Glenfidditch that someone else bought. No, thanks - too rich for my blood!

So, I told her that must be my doppelganger (double) - swanning around smoking Opus X and swilling Scotch!

But, I wonder if she's having as much fun as me?

What I'm Reading - December

Skellig by David Almond. Looking forward to reading his Mina. We are who we are because of events, ideas and impressions that formed us when we were young.

Skellig is the unhip archangel Michael who changes the young protagonist's life forever. All we're asked is whether we can believe.

See Lives to Eat for a very different book!

What are you reading?

Otis Redux

When you haven't seen your neighbors for a while, you start to think of the worst, especially if they're aging.

Florence, the cat lady, was in the hospital, then a care home, according to Kim, mommy to Otis, She is 82 years old and was still out feeding the cats twice a night - at 9 pm and 2 am. Crazy! Even the Manicured Librarian is asleep at 2 am!

So Kim and Butch, Rosie's father, have stepped in to help. But I'm sure they are not out at 2 am!

Rosie, my husband's gf, has been ailing, so whenever we do see her, we are happy! A couple nights ago, we saw Butch reading an Occupy Hawaii poster on the street. He said he'd left Rosie in the car. We wanted to see her, so we all walked over together. When he opened the door, she barked loudly, scolding him! When she saw us, her tailed wagged as fast as it gets! That pretty much took all the energy she had!

Otis, too, is getting on in years. I think Kim said he's 13, so in dog years, that's 104! He's deaf, so he stares at Kim so intently his eyes water! What a character, his head tilts, and one ear is cocked up - almost as if he could hear!

Thank goodness Otis and Rosie are still with us - they are just two of the characters in our neighborhood!

A great gift for anyone

I don't usually suggest or promote things but this is such a great product!

This Contigo travel mug is advertised as keeping hot drinks so for 3 hours, and cold ones 9 hours, and we've found this to be true. I loaded mine with ice and a bit of water, thinking I'd have a cold and icy drink, but after an hour on the road, it was still ice and very little melt! Excellent product!!!

I usually put about 8 ounces of coffee into it every morning that I go to work, but it will hold 16 ounces. After an hour it's still hot, but after 2 hours, it will be warm. I can stand to drink good coffee even if it's cold, so I don't mind.

One caveat: learn to press the button BEFORE you sip, as it releases air and "spits".

Otherwise, an altogether stellar product. The lid closes simply and without fuss. Easy to drink from, a breeze to clean. I HIGHLY recommend this!


Here is the website. They have several styles and other sizes. The price listed for the one I have is $24.99, but we got ours in a 2-pack for less than that at that big box store I hate to shop in. Yes, Costco. Don't know if they still have them, but it would make a great gift.

Where to "Go" in Downtown Honolulu

I was sure I wrote about this. Maybe not.

The library is one of the few places to "go" - potty, that is - on this end of town. For that reason, it is, unfortunately, sometimes abused. Here's what you can encounter in the women's restroom. The men's has been worse - one morning, the DH was helping with a program and couldn't "go" bcs a disturbed person had "gone" all over the men's - floor, commode and walls!

The custodians - a crew of saintly men whose patience and fortitude is tried DAILY - had to hose down the entire room, sending patrons and staff to the second floor.

Then there was the time when the men's was shut down for DAYS bcs someone had broken the counter and sink - JUST avoiding damaging the plumbing. Why? Bcs they COULD.

The other restroom nearby is at City Hall - but, like us, only open when business is conducted.

In the heart of Honolulu, Macy's is the restroom haven, but I admit I've used the men's there when the women's line went almost to the sales floor. No, there were no men in there, and a woman guarded the door as I did the same for her. Desperate times call for desperate measures!

But before Macy's opens, I've seen a woman pulling down her dress after relieving herself in a doorway near McDonald's. And now you know why downtown Honolulu smells like urine!

So it is with great relief that we welcome the first public restrooms in HNL's Chinatown, at River of Life Mission, on Pauahi St. Well, actually it's the second. If you ask nicely at the police substation, you can use their facilities.

Except...

Yes, there is always an exception!

They are only open 10 am to 9 pm.

And only on the weekend.

What's up with that???

In other toilet news, Starbucks baristas staged a mini toilet revolt in NYC!