The Witchling - My Conclusion

Please note the title says "My Conclusion" not the conclusion, my conclusion. My conclusion is I can't finish the book, it is too awful. It has been so long since I abandoned it that I can't remember why I abandoned it. I have vague memories. I didn't like the heroine, any of the heros, or the heroine's sisters. I was only mildly interested in the plot.  I just couldn't get on her team. It was well written with a number of beautiful details and great language.

The Witchling - Disk 2

Turns out the FBH is not our hero. Our hero is probably a Svartan named Trillian.  This is a book on cd so I am guessing at the spelling.  Svartans are intense beings - perhaps a race of the fairies, that isn't really clear to me.  Apparently, after you've "had" a Svartan you can't go back.  Svartans are so intense that they can't be monogamous.  And neither are the fairies. Our herione spends much print time worrying about whether or not he'll dump her.  It is okay if he sleeps around he just can't leave her.  Trillian is dark skinned with long silver hair.  I don't know if all Svartans are dark or if just he is. I am uncomfortable with the way this dark skinned individual has been set up as an "other".  We'll see where that goes.

Oh yeah, the gentle giants name was Jacko, not Jack.

On with our plot, so the FBH Johnson had a message for the trio from this Trillian.  Word on the street was that some big bad demon had taken over the demon world and was looking to wipe out Otherworld and Earth to rule all three dimensions.  They shouldn't expect much help from HQ - either because they couldn't or wouldn't give it.

Camille gets Menolly to agree to go somewhere with her but won't tell her where.  Turns out to be a VA - that's right, Vamps Anonymous, meeting.  Here we learn she has been a vamp for 12 earth-side years.  12 years and they are still tiptoeing around her.  Seems a bit over the top to me, I get that they have longer lives, but after 12 years, I'd expect her to be a little more adjusted. Menolly has the name of Jacko's earthside GF who Delilah is going to track down.  Menolly is going to go exploring dark alleys for information while she also feeds off of the dregs of society.  Sometimes she decides who needs to die.  It is unclear what her criteria are for deciding who dies and who is just a snack. The guy she takes out tonight was about to slice up a prostitute so he had to die. I guess that seems fair enough.

While Menolly is off snacking and gathering information, Camille goes off to talk to Grandmother Coyote aka one of the hags of fortune about everything that is going down. Grandmother Coyote sometimes gives advice to those who seek it. Here we learn that the big bad demon Shadow Wing has sent three other demons Earth-side in hunt of the spirit seals or some such thing.  With these seals, all three worlds can either be brought together forcefully or brought in peace.  We need to find some guy named Tom Hale who lives near Mt. Rainer.

The intrepid trio reassembles to share their information. At which time, we meet Trillion who appears in their house without warning.  We find all three ready to fight the intruder (until he identifies himself). Menolly readies herself by flying up to the ceiling, Delilah draws a knife and a gun, and Camille gets some magic ready.  They discover it is this Trillion and relax. Menolly gets catty with Trillion and so Delilah has another fit. Which means she has to be calmed down before she turns into a cat again. And once again, she is getting worked up because Menolly is upset with someone else (this time Trillian). Moments ago, she was going to face an unknown intruder, now her sister is upset and she freaks.

We end the disk with everyone turning in for the night after they have shared information. Camille and Trillian head upstairs to her room. . . 

The Witchling - A Progressive Review

A progressive review is the best phrase I could come up with to explain my intent for this review. I will be writing a mini synopsis and review at the end of each disk.  The book I'm working on first, The Witchling by Yasmine Galenorn.

We first meet our heroine and narrator, Camille, at her bookstore in Seattle.  We are front-loaded with a good deal of world building.  Camille is half-Faerie, half-human, and a witch whose powers often go awry.  She is the oldest of three sisters who are half-Faerie and half human.  Mellony, the vampire whose name grates on my ears and Delilah, the were-cat.  And by were-cat, I mean were-house-cat.  Apparently, Delilah is a hard-edged clever PI who is good with electronics from our world (the three are from the Other World). But whenever her sisters get into an argument, she freaks and turns into a house cat.  A lovely, but scared house cat.  So far, when she changes, she doesn't seem to retain any of her human intelligence or knowledge.  She also seems to spook easily.


Mellony is also pretty annoying.  She is too emotionally scarred to tell our hero how she became a vampire, but is all bad-ass and tries to pick fights with him for what appears to be no reason. 

Our presumed hero, whose name I can't remember, is a full-blooded human or an FBH.  He has the hots for Camille which irritates all three for no discernible reason.  Apparently, Camille has never had sex with an FBH and isn't about to start now.  She gives us no reason for disliking him except that he is an FBH which means they are going to have sex. So far, he is the only character I like.

At this point, we have learned that someone with demonic ancestry has killed a gently giant whose name I think might have been Jack. He was garroted by the demon with a leather strap. We are told a couple of times that this killer must have been very strong to have killed a giant.  The Other World Intelligence Agency (whose name I have already forgotten) has assigned the intrepid sisters to the case. 

That brings us to the close of disk 1.  I will start disk 2 on my drive to work tomorrow and probably finish it on my way home!

The New Old Blog that I Love

Today I rediscovered Penelope Trunk. I had read her work before over at Yahoo!Finance - I liked it there too. I like it even more now. I love her honesty - she puts it all out there. I have been enjoying her work so much that I can't seem to write more than a sentence at a time without flipping back over to finish trying to follow another story line.  With the Asperger Syndrome, the Farmer, her miscarriage, it is all so fascinating. In one post, she talks about how she and the Farmer use a technique discovered by Temple Grandin to calm farm animals to help her calm down and focus. 

I am so inspired by her posts and her blog that I want to be a better blogger.  I'm not even sure what that means for me.  I think it means that  I want to be able to write about a wide variety of topics that I find interesting.  I would like to be able to take the stressful moments of life and turn them into lessons, to give them meaning and value.  I also love a good story and would love to become a better written storyteller. 

The good news is that even Penelope says she has a hard time blogging, the bad news is there is only one way to get better at it, which is to just buckle down and get it done.

I found Penelope again thanks to Inc. magazine's 19 Blogs You Should Bookmark Right Now.

Instincts

Often times, our instincts are good and they are sending us messages we should listen to. Some of the messages are good, some of them are bad. Many of us don't listen to them often enough. A good friend of mine is trying to learn to listen to hers when it comes to dating.

In this afternoon's 85 Broads Jam Session with Danielle La Porte (WhiteHotTruth), Danielle said she generally knows everything she needs to know about a person and her future relationship with them in first 8 seconds she meets them.  "As in the beginning, so in the middle and so in the end."  Danielle recommends using your instinct and following Buddhist saying she quotes when you re embarking on a new relationship.  Business relationship and personal relationships have the rules and we fall into the same habits of not trusting our instincts. 

Back to the friend: A week or so ago, she asked me to dig around and see what I could find on this guy who seemed fishy on match.com. She hadn't yet met this guy in person and wasn't quite sure why he seemed off, but he did. Turns out she was right to listen to her instincts.  I think the lesson that most of can learn from her experience is not about what made the bells go off, but what she did when they went off.  When the bells went off, she asked herself why they went off and examined the bells and their cause.  Then she trusted herself.  Turns out, she did the right thing. Nothing bad came of the situation and he revealed his true nature quickly.

This morning, she forwarded me this message (her name is changed & her email address is redacted):

From: Robert Johnson
Subject: Hi Babe..
To: Friend
Date: Tuesday, May 4, 2010, 9:48 PM

Hi Nancy Babe...How are you doing ?I was online last night to chat with you but you were not online and i did tried to call you today as well but you didn't pick my calls,guess you were busy...Hope you doing fine and coping with your work...?Am missing you so much here and can't wait to see you angel ...Am so glad how far and how we got to meet and i know gradually with God's mercy things will work out as we planned...I realise we have been heart broken for along time or at a point in your life so does everyone at a point but the only thing that keeps us going is knowing we are here now and won't give up and finding that greener pasture and i hope and pray that i will look back to these days and smile because you have me and i have you babe ...I was able to book my flight for next week friday because am almost done here just trying to clear out somethings over here my love ...I miss you Nancy and am glad i met you and i feel the way i do with you ...Meeting you to see the smiles and tears is all i long for right now ...I know i can't change your past neither can i change mine but we've got alot more to hang on as long as we are still breathing...

Am sorry i was unable to email you my flight Itinery yesterday ..I had in mind to send it to you but i was just too tired last night my love and while i was online i slept off while waiting for you to come online babe ...Am going to send it to you Angel and i do hope i won't have to regret coming to see you or waiting for you at the Airport Angel..lol There's something i really need you to do for me now ..Its really important because i need to finalize everything have got to do before my flight on friday,Am done buying the collections i needed and it all went great because the collections are really worth what i was hoping for and am sure its a great deal once i get all all shipped back home from here but am having alittle issue with cash here...The whole collection are at the clearing office right now and i was told i needed to pay for the clearance for the collections because of the volume and its importance ..It's something i wasn't aware of or rather say planned for and right now am out of cash in hand to do the neccessary things needed which is paying for the clearing fee and getting the documents which i was told i would need and without these things one of the clearing officer told me they won't be releasing those collections for shippment because is a new reform or something and that's not nice not after all that have invested in it and the stress i went through..So have decided to sell some of the collections here to get the some collections i need so i could do what i needed..Since the money for the collections would be through transfer because that's the only way ..The money will be trasnfered to you and you can send me some of the cash that i needed back so i can do the things i needed and i hope i cant trust you with the Nancy and keep the remaining till friday when am back and i want to believe you will be honest with all of these,i know you won't give all of these away for something as silly as this or would you?.I do want to believe you not going to hurt or do anything and this is because am trusting you with this so i need to do this before next week friday so i can get done with every other things i need angel ...The payment for the transfer will be made through credit card transfer to you and once you have the confirmation i need you to let me know as soon as possible baby because i have to start up with the payment of the clearance fee immediately angel ..This is really important to me Nancy and this is also not just about me alone ..I believe this is also about us...

Let me know so i can get done with this and you have to know i have to do all of this before friday angel...Missing you and hope we can chat tonight my love ...Love ya ...

Love..Dream..Hope..Prayer..
Robert..

Lasagna for sharing

Albion is not only the home of the Old Rugged Cross and Albion College.  It is also home to some nice old Victorian houses,

 some sad urban decay,

and some great food.

Last Friday, we decided to go for a nice quiet dinner with just the two of us. We've been to Cascarelli's in Homer a couple of times, but never to Cascarelli's in Albion. Cascarelli's in Albion is over 100 years old. We really enjoy Cascarelli's in Homer and were hoping it would be as good or better in Albion.

The menu was pretty standard fare and pretty reasonably priced.  In Homer, they have this Annie's bread that is a buttery mess and tasty.  So we tried the bread sticks.  Unlike the Homer version, they were fried.  They were lightly sweetened and garlicly.  They have us a butter sauce and some Ranch.  I often measure a restaurant by their Ranch.  Cascarelli's of Albion knows their ranch.  It was a sign of good things to come. While we were enjoying our salad and bread and waiting for our food, we also enjoyed some live music.

The music was a man playing his acoustic guitar and singing. We were treated to some Bob Dillan, Gordan Lightfoot -- naturally, there was some Edmund Fitzgerald -- Johnny Cash, and some other good classic songs.

We shared the lasagna plate in part because we always fill up on bread and in part because I was feeling cheap. There was definitely enough for both us. I know it doesn't look like much but there two good sized portions in there.  There were also 5 or so meatballs.  The meatballs were great! The lasagna was okay.  I prefer less ricotta and more mozzarella. But there was plenty of sauce so that more than made up for the cheese issues.

We didn't leave room for dessert. Hopefully next time we will remember to leave room for dessert.  I think we will try to head over to Albion for dinner again sometime soon.  The service was great, the food was good, and the atmosphere was terrific.  Worth the drive!

Did someone clean the shower?

This morning, I asked the family if someone had cleaned the shower. I had been doing an experiment with my new Scrubbing Bubbles Automatic Shower Cleaner and was worried someone had ruined it! I set up my Scrubbing Bubbles Automatic Shower Cleaner when it came from bzzagent.com on Tuesday. (I love free stuff!)



No one had cleaned the shower! My shower is so clean! I'm not just saying that because it was free.  I've been sent other free stuff that I didn't like and didn't blog about. So, (1) go get your self one of these and you can thank me later and (2) go to bzzagent.com to become a bzzagent and get your own free stuff.  In addition to the automatic shower cleaner, I also have $3 coupons to pass on to friends.  I have already given out 2.

Sour Cream Chocolate Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting & Chocolate Glaze

Sour Cream Chocolate Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting & Chocolate Glaze
(Printable Version)

I have been eying this recipe on Smitten Kitchen for a while now. I have been needing a reason to make this cake (I know, you never really need a reason.) Easter was a co-worker's birthday and her favorite sweet treats are chocolate and peanut butter. What better reason to make such a delicious cake!

Smitten Kitchen's directions were great.  You should definitely freeze the layers before frosting.  Not only will they frost better, but they will be easier to handle for the stacking. It was definitely worth the time spent baking and frosting! Enjoy!


Sour Cream-Chocolate Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting and Chocolate-Peanut Butter Glaze

Adapted, only barely, from Sky High: Irresistable Triple-Layer Cakes - with thanks for Smitten Kitchen!



Makes an 8-inch triple-layer cake; serves 12 to 16 (SK and I agree, it will serve quite a bit more. At work, we got 9 pieces out of half.)

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, preferably Dutch process
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup neutral vegetable oil, such as canola, soybean or vegetable blend
1 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups water
2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
1/2 cup coarsely chopped peanut brittle (I skipped this)

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter the bottoms and sides of three 8-inch round cakepans. Line the bottom of each pan with a round of parchment or waxed paper and butter the paper.

2. Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl. Whisk to combine them well. Add the oil and sour cream and whisk to blend. Gradually beat in the water. Blend in the vinegar and vanilla. Whisk in the eggs and beat until well blended. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and be sure the batter is well mixed. Divide among the 3 prepared cake pans. (AG Note: I measured it out, I put about 2 1/4 cups of batter in cake pan - I only have 2 round pans so I had to be careful to make sure that all three were the same amount of batter.)

3. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a cake tester or wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out almost clean. Let cool in the pans for about 20 minutes. Invert onto wire racks, carefully peel off the paper liners, and let cool completely. (Deb @ Smitten Kitchen note: These cakes are very, very soft. I found them a lot easier to work with after firming them up in the freezer for 30 minutes. They’ll defrost quickly once assembled. You’ll be glad you did this, trust me.)

4. To frost the cake, place one layer, flat side up, on a cake stand or large serving plate. Spread 2/3 cup cup of the Peanut Butter Frosting evenly over the top. Repeat with the next layer. Place the last layer on top and frost the top and sides of the cake with the remaining frosting. (Deb note 1: Making a crumb coat of frosting–a thin layer that binds the dark crumbs to the cake so they don’t show up in the final outer frosting layer–is a great idea for this cake, or any with a dark cake and lighter-colored frosting. Once you “mask” your cake, let it chill for 15 to 30 minutes until firm, then use the remainder of the frosting to create a smooth final coating. Deb note 2: Once the cake is fully frosting, it helps to chill it again and let it firm up. The cooler and more set the peanut butter frosting is, the better drip effect you’ll get from the Chocolate-Peanut Butter Glaze.)

5. To decorate with the Chocolate–Peanut Butter Glaze, put the cake plate on a large baking sheet to catch any drips. Simply pour the glaze over the top of the cake, and using an offset spatula, spread it evenly over the top just to the edges so that it runs down the sides of the cake in long drips. Refrigerate, uncovered, for at least 30 minutes to allow the glaze and frosting to set completely. Remove about 1 hour before serving. Decorate the top with chopped peanut brittle.

Peanut Butter Frosting
Makes about 5 cups
10 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
5 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
2/3 cup smooth peanut butter, preferably a commercial brand (because oil doesn’t separate out)

1. In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy. Gradually add the confectioners’ sugar 1 cup at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl often. Continue to beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes.
2. Add the peanut butter and beat until thoroughly blended.

Chocolate-Peanut Butter Glaze
Makes about 1 1/2 cups
8 ounces seimsweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
3 tablespoons smooth peanut butter
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/2 cup half-and-half

1. In the top of d double boiler or in a bowl set over simmering water, combine the chocolate, peanut butter, and corn syrup. Cook, whisking often, until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth.
2. Remove from the heat and whisk in the half-and-half, beating until smooth. Use while still warm.

Love, Brotherhood, and Slow Motion

I suppose a more accurate title to this post would have been Sherlock Holmes and Man Vintets Sauvignon Blanc. I strongly recommend both the latest Sherlock Holmes starring the delectable Robert Downing, Jr. and the 2008 Man Vintets Sauvignon Blanc.

First the movie. I love a mystery, love it! In this movie, we know the villain the entire time. But that isn't the point of the movie, here we get to know Sherlock in a new way. He isn't some genius who smugly lives among us. He is a troubled man who cannot help but be flooded by every sight, sound, smell, and sensation in his proximity.  He doesn't enjoy it, he doesn't seek it out.  In fact, he would prefer to dull it. 

The other thing I loved about the movie were the unexpectedly deep emotional moments, like the moment when we believed Watson to be dead, or the moment when Watson's beloved confronts Holmes. I loved Holmes' love as well.  She was great.  It was another example of his imperfection. In some ways, it reminded me of Iron Man, not just because they shared a a leading man (and isn't he something), but also because the lead character is flawed.  In some ways, deeply flawed and yet, his flaws are a part of his charm, his power, and his strength.  In many ways, we are like Stark and Sherlock, our flaws are also are our strengths.  Sherlock's strengths are his need for a challenge and his inability to turn off his powers of observation and his need to share his observations.

I also loved the soundtrack and will be checking it out very soon.

Now for the part of my post you have been waiting for, Man Vintets Sauvignon Blanc 2008.  Excellent wine, it was part of a Christmas gift so I can't speak to price but I can't imagine it was much. Not much of an after-taste, nice and smooth.

I loved the way they left it open for a sequel. I am really looking forward to seeing the sequel.

By the way, if you haven't discovered Roger Ebert on Twitter, you really should follow him at @ebertchicago.  Brilliant and funny.

Baby Bzzzz

I've mentioned before that I am a bzzagent. I get great stuff free from http://www.bzzagent.com and all I have to do is tell you about it - so far, I've liked everything I've been sent. Right now, I am participating in a promotion for the movie Babies. I am under no delusions that I will win the traffic contest. (although, maybe with all the foodies from my listing on the Foodies Blogroll can help . . .).

Everybody loves... BABIES. Coming to theatres this Mother's Day Weekend (May 7th), this visually stunning new movie simultaneously follows four babies around the world - from first breath to first steps. From Mongolia to Namibia to San Francisco to Tokyo, BABIES joyfully captures on film the earliest stages of the journey of humanity that are at once unique and universal to us all. Check out the trailer!