Why I want to live in NY (Bklyn) again -- next in a series

That's right, Brooklyn.

Yes, this will be our closest subway station.

Not that it won't be Manhattan the minute after I win the lottery.

The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski

I snagged an advance review copy of this one last week; I hadn't heard anything about it and it is really a fat book but since I had recently loved The Art of Racing in the Rain so much I was in the mood for another good dog book and this looked like it might be engrossing. When I read Janet Maslin's review in The New York Times I knew this was going to be my big summer vacation read. I'm really looking forward to being on vacation later this summer and to reading peacefully for hours on the beach or on the deck of our apt. in Ptown.

How can we have an election without Tim Russert?

I cannot imagine what election night will be like without Tim Russert. I cannot imagine what this campaign will be like without his insight and his intelligent and relentless questioning. The world is darker without him.

I miss being a library patron

Something I am really looking forward to about being retired is being a patron at my local public library. (It's years away, but that doesn't mean I don't think about what life will be like then, now. It's not very zen, but it's nice to daydream.) I cannot remember when I last browsed the shelves for something to read in a library. I do it at Barnes and Noble or Borders sometimes. Even better is Inkwood, browsing in the indies is excellent. But I love doing it in the library, I love being surprised to find a new book by a favorite author, and that is just not how it is when you work in the library. Anyway, reading this blog post on Library Garden reminded me. And curiously, also made me think about knitting. You can knit linen, hemp? Guess I'll have to speak to Judy, this book isn't in our library. Yet.

Recommended Reading

Skeletons at the Feast by Chris Bohjalian
My GoodReads rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is the most immediate experience I have had of WWII. A completely absorbing, tragic story of a wealthy German family in the months before the Third Reich fell. Anna is traveling with her mother, younger brother, two soldiers who have become part of their little group, their horses, trying to stay ahead of the invading Russians. The terrible trek is filled with tragedy and horrors, and love. A very rich story and history I needed to know.

Prize Winning Photo!

One of Jesse Chamberlin's photographs of Jesse and Thom at the wedding won a prize in the Wedding Photo Journalist Association 2008 contest. Who knew there was such a thing? We all, however, knew that Jesse and Whitney were wonderful.
Congratulations to Jesse, Chamberlin and Armstrong both!

The girls are back!

I had the biggest smile on my face when we walked out of the theater after seeing Sex and the City Saturday night. The girls are back and it was great! It doesn't matter to me at all what critics have said about this one. It lived up to the series, it lived up to my expectations, and I loved it completely.

We watched a few movies at home too this weekend.

Before the Devil Knows You're Dead was disturbing, quirky, interesting and anytime Philip Seymour Hoffman is acting it's worth watching.

Sketches of Frank Gehry was a fascinating documentary, this from someone who avoids nonfiction of all kinds as much as possible. But the man is an artistic genius, and it was poignant to see Sydney Pollack with him, it seemed more like a conversation between friends (which they were, loved the Pollack interview on the DVD) than a portrait of one architect. And it made me want to live in a Gehry building. So you'll know where to find me when I win the lottery....

I also watched a silly little movie on HBO, Music and Lyrics, just something to occupy myself while folding laundry, but I am smitten by Hugh Grant and I don't care if he makes a fool of himself, he still looks great.