2009 February » Mostly Harmless

Second Foundation

Feb 282009

Second Foundation - Issac Asimov

Issac Asimov
1953

This book brings to an end the original Foundation trilogy. The titles of the series is annoying, because I originally thought this book was number two in the series but the term second is refers to the ‘Second Foundation’, the other organization founded by the great Hari Seldon. This book essentially revolves around ‘the plan’ and trying to return the plan to its original track after being hijacked by the Mule, a mutant who possesses emotional control and who managed to take over half the galaxy before being thwarted by Bayta Darrell in Foundation and Empire.

My favourite character of this book was Arcadia Darrell, the granddaughter of Bayta Darrell from book #2. She’s a plucky, industrious teenager who plays a pivotal role in the twists and turns of the plot. It was nice to see a strong female character after the last few sci-fi books have left me wanting in that respect.

This book was a great conclusion to the original Foundation series. It tied up all the loose ends in a way that allowed the reader to extrapolate on their own the future course of the story. I’m a little apprehensive about continuing into the next books of the series, which were written in the 80s.

I like Asimov’s method of story telling and world building. If you’ve read and enjoyed any of his other works, I think you would enjoy this book, too.

Shan’s Lenten Challenge

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Feb 272009

Note To Self: I like spinach and other healthy things...

A six-week time frame is a great way to tackle personal challenges. A lot of people say that if you can maintain a practice for 6 weeks, be it quitting smoking, or hitting the gym, it becomes a habit. These first six weeks are crucial to the new practice. So, with Pancake Tuesday just having passed, and being able to use it as an excuse, let me introduce to you my 6-Week Lenten Challenge.

I am giving up restaurant and variety store food for Lent. This will help my pocket book considerably, as well as force me to eat healthier. As well, it is my challenge to introduce a weight training regimen into my workouts three days a week so that I can lose some weight before Alan‘s big day. Of course, there will be times when there is no option but to eat out at a restaurant or whatnot, and in those instances, the challenge will be to eat small portions of healthy items.

I know this is something that I can do, but it will be quite the challenge, as I will have to fight the laziness quite a bit. I don’t know if Alan and I have ever gone six weeks without dining out, and I know it will force us to cook more often.

I would love to have recommendations for new recipes to try. Preferably ones that don’t take too long to cook at the end of a busy day. Is anyone else out there challenging themselves during Lent?

Weekend To-Do List

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Feb 272009

Tonight:
- Pizza and Laundry night with Alan
Tomorrow:
- go to gym
- grocery shopping
- use Chapter’s gift certificate before it expires
- get ring cleaned
- make awesome dinner
- read one chapter of PHP book
Sunday:
- relax
- read a book

Emm Gryner – Goddess

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Feb 262009

Emm Gryner - Goddess

Emm Gryner
Goddess
2009
Dead Daisy Records

I’ve recently had the pleasure of getting my hands on Emm Gryner’s newest album, Goddess, and so far, I love it. Alan pre-ordered it, which means we got a signed hard copy of it, and there is a definite theme in the packaging: pink. The CD itself, along with the cardboard case and line notes are all very, very pink. Seeing as pink is one of my least favourite colours, this doesn’t excite me very much. However, since my car is a CD eating monster, I make copies of all my albums for it to munch on, so no pink for me on a daily basis.

Despite the abundance of pink in the packaging, this album is most certainly music for the cold Canadian winter. It is deeply moody and personal, and I don’t think I’ve ever heard an album which personifies winter in southern Ontario as well. Her voice is beautiful as always, and there seems to be a lot more drums and guitars than in her last few releases. Songs like Let It Snow and Die Evergreen seem to cushion the blow of the wind chill and I can’t wait to listen to this album in a snow storm.

This album is absolutely beautiful. It leaves me longing for the spring time but wanting to cuddle up under a blanket next to a roaring fire with a big cup of hot chocolate. If you’ve never listened to Emm Gryner’s work, this may not be the most accessible of her albums, but it’s absolutely beautiful.

Winter’s the new summer and it’s good for getting around
Cause when the Great Lakes freeze you know, it’s six straight months of clouds.
But you’re hand’s coming down no matter what the weather says
You won’t keep me from the one I love again
- Note 2 Self

Completed Project

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Feb 232009

On Saturday, my mom and dad came to visit and helped me finish my quilt. All I had left to do was add some borders and then it would be ready for quilting. The last time I worked on it was last spring. My mom, the good quilter of the family, instructed me in what needed to be done, and dad and I measured and cut and pinned and sewed according to her directions, and now I have a finished quilt top.