Little Duplex on the Prairie: I Made It!! Whew!!

Sunday, September 26, 2010

I Made It!! Whew!!

Hi all - just wanted to throw a quick post at you to let you know that I finally made it to my new home in Washington. I'll be putting up a proper post in a few days, complete with a few pictures, but for now I just wanted to let you know that I'm still here (but HERE and not THERE). Once I get used to the miracle of television again - you know, since I haven't been able to watch any for about two months - I'll be able to tear myself away from the remote and get back to writing.

TTFN!

2 comments:

Debra said...: Great news! I am so happy for you:-); September 27, 2010 8:33 AM
Laurie said...: I am happy for you too, and now you live closer to me!; October 11, 2010 5:17 PM

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The book I just finished:

One Second After - by William R. Forstchen

Notes from the book jacket:
New York Times best selling author William R. Forstchen now brings us a story which can be all too terrifyingly real...a story in which one man struggles to save his family and his small North Carolina town after America loses a war, in one second, a war that will send America back to the Dark Ages...A war based upon a weapon, an Electro Magnetic Pulse (EMP). A weapon that may already be in the hands of our enemies.

Months before publication, One Second After has already been cited on the floor of Congress as a book all Americans should read, a book already being discussed in the corridors of the Pentagon as a truly realistic look at a weapon and its awesome power to destroy the entire United States, literally within one second. It is a weapon that the Wall Street Journal warns could shatter America. In the tradition of On the Beach, Fail Safe and Testament, this book, set in a typical American town, is a dire warning of what might be our future...and our end.

My notes: I enjoy books that ponder the "what if". I enjoyed the first third of Stephen King's The Stand, watching as the ripples spread out over the first several days as the virus spread and senarios played out about what would happen to our country and society as huge numbers of people starting dying off. This book, however, scared the freaking crap out of me. Literally. I layed awake at nights thinking about it, and worrying about what would happen to me and my family if this senerio ever became reality. I found the book difficult to read, but even more difficult to put down. I really cared about these characters and seriously wept in a few places. I don't know if I could ever read it again, but I am definitely glad I read it. I think everyone should read it.

The book I am currently reading:

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - by Stieg Larsson

Notes from the book jacket: Stieg Larsson's The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo combines murder mystery, family saga, love story, and financial intrigue into a complex and atmospheric novel.

Harriet Vanger, a scion of one of Sweden's wealthiest families, disappeared over forty years ago. All these years later, her aged uncle continues to seek the truth. He hires Mikael Blomkvist, a crusading journalist recently trapped by a libel conviction, to investigate. He is aided by the pierced and tattooed punk prodigy Lisbeth Salander. Together the tap into a vein of iniquity and corruption.

My notes: I am a little late in joining the band wagon of readers that have read this novel. I had picked it up and put it down numerous times at the book store, but last night I was trolling the DVDs at Hastings and saw that it has been turned into a movie. When I read the plot notes on the back of the box, I became much more intrigued. Here is what it said: Forty years ago, Harriet Vanger disappeared from a family gathering on the island owned and inhabited by the powerful Vanger clan. Her body was never found, yet her beloved uncle is convinced it was murder and that the killer is a member of his own tightly knit but dysfunctional family. He employs disgraced financial journalist Mikael Blomkvist (Michael Nyqvist) and the tattooed and troubled but resourceful computer hacker Lisbeth Salander (Noomi Rapace) to investigate. When the pair link Harriet's disappearance to a number of grotesque murders from almost forty years ago, they begin to unravel a dark and appalling family history. But the Vangers are a secretive clan, and Blomkvist and Salander are about to find out just how far they are prepared to go to protect themselves.

That was enough to make me want to purchase the film right there. But it is in Swedish with English subtitles, and while I don't have issue with subtitled movies (much more preferable to dubbed, yuck) I just wasn't in the mood to deal with it. So I decided to pick up the book instead. And it was on sale, so that was definitely a clincher.

Last movie I saw:

Dad's In Heaven With Nixon
*****
This is a great documentary written and directed by Tom Murray. I watched it on Showtime and I was really glad I did. It is the story of the Murray family: sweet, long-suffering mother; unoffically diagnosed manic-depressive father; two daughters and three sons; the youngest son with autism, Chris. The story talks about the father's disfunctional relationship with his own father and it's part in his downward spiral into depression and how the family delt with it; their life growing up in Southhampton (don't worry, it's not like watching a documentary about the Kennedys); dealing with Chris and his autism; and how Chris himself deals with his autism. This documentary made me cry, laugh, think, and meditate on my own life and what is important to me. Chris is sweet and funny, and it turns out he is a very talented artist. I love his artwork and so do a lot of other people, as it turns out.

I highly recommend this documentary to anyone who loves art, family, people who are autistic, people suffering with depression, or just people in general.