Nom de Plume

Bad joke overheard at a neighboring restaurant table:

Defense Secretary Gates briefed the President this morning.

He told Bush that three Brazilian soldiers were killed in Iraq. To everyone’s amazement, all of the color ran from Bush’s face, then he collapsed onto his desk, head in hands, visibly shaken, almost whimpering.

Finally, he composed himself and asked Gates, “Just exactly how many is a brazillion?”

On the bin of peanuts:

Warning: This product is processed on machines that also process peanuts.

Americas Choice, Preferred Pets
Authority
Award
Best Choice
Big Bet
Big Red
Bloom
Cadillac
Companion
Demoulas Market Basket
Eukanuba
Food Lion
Giant Companion
Great Choice
Hannaford
Hill Country Fare
Hy-Vee
Iams
Laura Lynn
Loving Meals
Meijers Main Choice
Mighty Dog (The recall affects only 5.3 pouch products that were produced from Dec. 3, 2006 through March 14, 2007.)
Mixables
Natural Balance Venison and Brown Rice canned and bagged dog foods and dog treats
Nutriplan
Nutro Max
Nutro Natural Choice
Nutro Ultra
Nutro
Ol’Roy Canada
Ol’Roy U.S.
Paws
Pet Essentials
Pet Pride - Good ’n Meaty
Presidents Choice
Price Chopper
Priority Canada
Priority U.S.
Publix
Roche Brothers
Save-A-Lot Choice Morsels
Schnucks
Shep Dog
Springfield Prize
Sprout
Stater Brothers
Stop & Shop Companion
Tops Companion
Wegmans Bruiser
Weis Total Pet
Western Family U.S.
White Rose
Winn Dixie
Your Pet

What is it about New Yorkers? And why is it that novels about New Yorkers are driving me batty? Maybe it’s the endless introspection. Maybe it’s that there’s always the requisite gay friend. Maybe it’s that, well, maybe it’s just that New Yorkers seem to feel that there’s no other place in the world worth living, and while that may be true for them at least, it all seems to lead to a certain genre, if you will, of modern American literature: The New Yorkocity genre.

Okay, it’s time for me to get off my high horse and make a terrible confession. I actually liked this–though not without reserve. Chances are, you’ve already read this for yourself–or at least have read reviews–so I’ll spare you the synopsis.

The good:
Well-written
Somewhat interesting plotline (it gets better)
Some gorgeously rendered scenes

The bad:
Archetypal characters
Endless introspection that doesn’t make them any more real
The kid? Totally unbelievable

Anyone else?

Rather, we have something that acts as the kitchen in what used to be the dining room. It’s amazing what you can get used to, although I have to say I’m very excited. The new dishwasher came yesterday (an Asko, the most water efficient and energy efficient brand out there–here’s to never washing a dish by hand again!). Steve might actually hook it up this week. And hook up the sink. And get the cabinet bases out of the living room. Maybe. Well, okay, probably not. But I have cleaned the kitchen floor–which doesn’t sound like a big deal, but given the amount of drywall and mud dust actually was–and primed and painted the ceiling and new walls. And we hoisted the sink up on the bases. So, without further ado …

New bank of windows–Steve hates them–along with the new sink. We’re not sold on the fixtures; as you can see, there are two sets. It’s kind of fun. Also, there will be cabinets surrounding the sink and an old-fashioned curtain in front of the plumbing. White subway tile all the way around.

More sink.

Steve hates the wall color. I WUB it. He does like the exposed brick of the chimney, though. Again, this wall will be cabinets.

Nice new lights–sure better than the fluorescent crapola that was there before. There will also be 3 pendant lights above the sink.

So, there is no little handy Amazon picture and you’ll have to bear with me. The WP-Amazon plug in that I love so much works neither in IE7 nor the latest WordPress version, and I am far too lazy to save the image, upload it, insert it, look up my amazon associates code, link the image, and THEN write a post.

Can you blame me?

And can you blame me for mixing up these two novels? The Thirteenth Tale and The Keep are both gothic, and both fine for what they are. They both also made me lose interest partway through, though The Thirteenth Tale (which reminded me of that John somebody novel about the wicked grandmother who lures her grandson away from Australia to complete her revenge, what was that called?) was the more interesting of the two. And that’s really about it.

leave notes for each other on the dining room table.

I, on the other hand, leave them in the fridge. In front of the beer.