Being sleep deprived, I was unable to resist an invitation to a tailgate party. No, I did not go to the actual game (like anyone who knows me would have to ask that). These people take their tailgating very seriously. Even the folding chairs had the school colors and logos. We had breakfast burritos, bacon, sausage, cinnamon rolls, muffins, fruit, juice, coffee, and mimosas. And our group was not the exception in its preparations. These people are serious, serious tailgaters and sports fans, and they scare me.
We left after playing cornhole, a game that resembles the sort of beanbag toss you would use with preschoolers to increase hand eye coordination and muscle coordination. I found out I can actually play this game, another frightening realization for the day.
Leaving the party, Bonnie and I drove north to an orchard to pick apples. On getting there, we discovered that due to the late freeze, they lost 75% of their crop this year. They had some picked apples, but none really left on the tree. Since it has still been warm here, though, the raspberries were still going strong. So we picked raspberries at 1.99 a pound. Mine ended up costing 1.50, for what would be about 3-4 times those tiny containers for $4-5. Mmm, raspberries. I have been eating them by the handful. If they come to fix my heat tomorrow as promised, I may make muffins. (Since the heat won't turn off, though, and it's been 80s or close to that, added oven heat could cause homicidal behavior). I really wish I had a camera, so I could have taken pictures. Alas, it's not on the list of things needed for survival (rent, utilities, food... no, sorry, no cameras here). Someday..... but that would be a whole new post and would require brain cells fat with sleep....time to eat more raspberries and then get some sleep. Sunday nights are typically quiet, and after 4 days of partying, should be quieter than normal.
Showing posts with label homecoming. Show all posts
Showing posts with label homecoming. Show all posts
Sunday, October 21, 2007
Sleeplessness equals more reading time
Apparently, homecoming here is cause for non-stop partying Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. This is accompanied, of course, by screaming, yelling, shrieking, chanting, singing, etc. I can usually sleep through most chaos, but not this time. Too much, too sporadic, too sustained. On the up side, I read 8 of the 30 juvenile/ya novels (or roughly 27%) I need to complete by the end of the semester.
For those looking for an interesting historical novel dealing with fire fighting, I recommend The Big Burn by Jeanette Ingold. She looks at the fires that took place during the summer of 1910 through the perspectives of several different people (ranger, ranger's brother who becomes a firefighter, homesteader, black army private called in to fight fires. With a double major in English and history, you'd think I'd be a big fan of historical fiction. Usually I prefer to keep fiction and history separated. I'm not a huge fan of historical fiction usually, but this book has interesting characters, different plotlines, and historical accuracy in a very readable combination. Plus, it's set in the west.
Another author I'm really enjoying who writes historical fiction is Joseph Bruchac. I read two of his novels in my reading stint. Code Talker and Hidden Roots. Code Talker is far more of a straight historical novel, dealing with the Navajo code talkers in WWII. Hidden Roots is more of a growing up novel set in a historical time frame (1954). It deals with family secrets, and for a short novel, it unravels the secret without giving it away until the very end of the novel.
Caroline Cooney's novel, Enter Three Witches, tells the story of Macbeth through a ward of the Macbeth's, Lady Mary, and a variety of other minor characters. It stays as dark (maybe even darker) than the original. Shakespeare's Secret by Elise Broach deals with a missing diamond, a new house, a father who's a Shakespeare scholar, and a bad start at a new school.
Other books read in the reading frenzy include Dog Sense (Collard), Ten Ways to Make My Sister Disappear (Mazer), and Project Mulberry (Park).
For those looking for an interesting historical novel dealing with fire fighting, I recommend The Big Burn by Jeanette Ingold. She looks at the fires that took place during the summer of 1910 through the perspectives of several different people (ranger, ranger's brother who becomes a firefighter, homesteader, black army private called in to fight fires. With a double major in English and history, you'd think I'd be a big fan of historical fiction. Usually I prefer to keep fiction and history separated. I'm not a huge fan of historical fiction usually, but this book has interesting characters, different plotlines, and historical accuracy in a very readable combination. Plus, it's set in the west.
Another author I'm really enjoying who writes historical fiction is Joseph Bruchac. I read two of his novels in my reading stint. Code Talker and Hidden Roots. Code Talker is far more of a straight historical novel, dealing with the Navajo code talkers in WWII. Hidden Roots is more of a growing up novel set in a historical time frame (1954). It deals with family secrets, and for a short novel, it unravels the secret without giving it away until the very end of the novel.
Caroline Cooney's novel, Enter Three Witches, tells the story of Macbeth through a ward of the Macbeth's, Lady Mary, and a variety of other minor characters. It stays as dark (maybe even darker) than the original. Shakespeare's Secret by Elise Broach deals with a missing diamond, a new house, a father who's a Shakespeare scholar, and a bad start at a new school.
Other books read in the reading frenzy include Dog Sense (Collard), Ten Ways to Make My Sister Disappear (Mazer), and Project Mulberry (Park).
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