Some Pig!

With my long hours of commuting to work, I've learned to love audiobooks. It took some getting used to, but now I actually (sort of) look forward to the drive because I can continue the story where I left off and lose myself into another world (partially) for an hour or so. People can tailgate and cut me off all they want, and somehow I don't care.

Usually, I steer clear of audiobooks that are read by the author, but I've found one that you absolutely MUST hear, even if you are not a fan of audiobooks.



Charlotte's Web is a short audiobook -- only 3 discs long -- but every moment of it is something to be cherished. It is read by E.B. White himself, and there couldn't be a better reader for it. It's as if your grandfather is reading you a story. You can even hear him turning the pages now and then!

It's such a heartwarming story, and it really comes alive when it's read aloud. I remember my first exposure to Charlotte's Web. I was in third grade, and my teacher read the book aloud to our class at the end of every day until we finished. It really made a huge impact on me, I guess, because I still love the story. And this is the second time I have listened to this version of the book.

Have a listen using the handy little widget above, and tell me what you think!

It's a Young and Restless Friday

I love being home on a weekday to catch up on trashy daytime tv. And my big thrill for today was the fact that they finally killed off Dru on the Young and the Restless. Hallelujah! That woman drove me nuts for YEARS on that show. Now if they could only do something about Victoria. And Nikki. Oh, and Sharon's really irking me too.

Why am I watching this again? :-D

When I Grow Up...

Squeeeee! A week from Monday I will be starting a new position in my company, and I couldn't be more excited about it because it's giving me that feeling that I'll get to do what I really want to do. And it's gotten me thinking about all the different types of things that I thought I wanted to be when I grew up, and I'm slightly off track from that. Okay, well maybe a lot off track.

What I wanted to be when I grew up: (in chronological order)

1. Teacher. I used to have an old school desk in my bedroom, and I would make these tests up and force my friends to sit at the desk and take the test so I could grade it. I think they put up with it so they could swim in our pool.

2. Lawyer. I have no idea where this one came from. I remember talking with my dad about it when I was about 11. I think it came from watching Claire Huxtable on the Cosby Show.

3. Muppeteer. I always had an affinity for Kermit. And I just couldn't STAND it when amateurs tried to make their sock puppets talk, and yet they got the hand motion backwards! Your hand is supposed to OPEN when the words are spoken. For some reason, it's a big pet peeve of mine. Anyway, I gave up this dream when I realized I would have had to move to California where it was really hot. :-D

4. Video director for Weird Al Yankovic. No, I'm not kidding! I was obsessed with Weird Al in junior high, particularly his polkas. I would envision stage versions of them and plan out the video in my head. I think I gave this one up when I discovered that liking Weird Al was not cool with the popular cliques. Don't tell anyone that I still listen to him now and then. And I can still picture my big polka productions.

5. Actress on Broadway. There is nothing like standing on stage in front of a full house, belting out a solo and getting all the attention. Oh, I loved being in musicals in school. My last role was Meg Brockie (the town whore) in Brigadoon. My Scottish accent sucked, but I was great at stealing the show. ;) I did realize though, that it was unlikely that I would make it to Broadway, and would probably die a starving wannabe actress.

6. Stage manager. I gave up the bright lights for the life behind the curtains for several years. Being a stage manager was completely fulfilling for me, blending the creative side with the organization and administration of it all. I think I just loved being in charge. Unfortunately there's not much money to be made here either.

7. Music teacher. In the early years of university, I thought this was it for me. Until I took an exploratory teaching class, and they placed me as a student teacher with 7th and 8th graders. I quickly changed my mind about that profession. Those kids are brutal!! Luckily for me though, I already had enough credits at that point for a music minor, so that made me happy enough.

8. Webmaster. When I gave up on the idea of teaching, I turned to computers as my new hobby, and it quickly became an obsession. I taught myself html, and spent all my spare time online building websites and writing iptscrae for The Palace (geez, does anybody remember that now?). I think this dream stuck, and I've been floating somewhere nearby this profession ever since...

What I actually became:
1. Web Developer
2. Software Quality Analyst
3. Senior SQA, E-commerce Team Leader
--changed careers & industries--
4. Marketing Assistant
5. Marketing & Publicity Coordinator
6. Marketing Manager
7. Publicity Manager
8. Online Marketing Manager (My new job!! Yeah!!)

Do you think that we ever really stop wanting what we don't have? Do we always yearn for the next great thing? When I took a career management training course in between my big career switch, they told us that on average, a person will change careers (not jobs, actual careers) seven times in their life. SEVEN TIMES! Doesn't that seem like a lot? I'm starting to not believe it, at least for myself, because I feel like I've found the industry that I fit in. At last, I feel like the job is right. (Holy crap, the planets have aligned!)

Maybe the seven career changes are for the people who are meandering through their lives not really focusing on what it is they really want to do. The career management training was fantastic, because it forced me to focus on figuring out what my skills, talents, and desires were, and it narrowed down my ideal career options. I would totally recommend going through that process to anyone who is not happy in their current career. It could truly change your life!

So tell me, what did you want to be when you grew up? Did you do it?

Pillow Talk

Good grief. My first post in April and we're already four days in. This has been a wild and busy week, and I don't know about you, but I'm exhausted! Can't wait for my head to hit the pillow.


Speaking of hitting pillows...I saw this story on Global News tonight, and it was like watching a train wreck.

Apparently pillow fighting has become an official sport.

Are you kidding me??

They've applied rules and regulations to pillow fighting and created a league. Oh, and check out their costumes and stage names. Digit Jones? Betty Clock'er? Okay, that part's kinda funny. But I bet some horny guys must be pretty pleased with themselves for creating this.

The Pillow Fight League (PFL) leads the way as the most exciting and innovative new wave in sports entertainment. Featuring strong female combatants, the PFL is engaged in the unprecedented whip-action attack of pillow fighting. Not just for the slumber-party sleepover anymore, these women are serious brawlers - armed with beauty, brains and a nasty disposition. The contests are fast-paced and furious, with flying feathers and hard-hitting moves. There are various ways to win a match, with a referee always on hand to keep the hair-pulling and scratching to a minimum.

Seriously though, am I the only one scratching my head on this one? Would you want your daughter to aspire to be a professional pillow fighter so a crowd of guys could get their kicks? Cause you know they're not watching it for the educational value. ;)

Whatever. Maybe I'm just getting old and cranky. Maybe my sense of what's good entertainment is skewed from what tends to be the norm these days. I don't like Survivor. Or American Idol. Or The Bachelor. There, I said it. Flog me if you must.


But I'm somehow transfixed by Dancing with the Stars. Crap, what's wrong with me!? :-D

A House Full of Babies

The Birth House by Ami McKay

Oh, my goodness, if you haven't read this book yet, you simply must! I had been putting it off for quite a while, even though I had heard wonderful things about it. Now, I am so glad that I added it to my Spring Reading Thing 2007 list.

***

Miss Dora Rare tells us her stories of daily life in Scots Bay, Nova Scotia in the early 1900s. But her daily life was far from ordinary. Growing up in a house surrounded by men (she had six brothers) Dora quickly became "one of the boys" much to her father's chagrine.

In an effort to separate her from her rowdy brothers so that she might eventually catch the eye of a suitor her father insisted on sending her to live with her Aunt Fran, who would teach her to be a lady. Well, Dorrie's mother wouldn't hear of it, since Aunt Fran is a bit high-and-mighty, well-to-do, and always seems to find a way to look down her nose at their simple ways. (As it turns out, Aunt Fran isn't nearly as perfect as she would like us to think!)

Dora, instead, goes to live with Miss Marie Babineau, the elderly midwife ("witch" according to many townfolk) who mentored her in catching babies and healing the sick with all sorts of potions and dreadful-sounding concoctions, and many many prayers.

As the story unfolds, Dora takes Miss B.'s role on, and gets into a few rough spots, thanks to the "know-it-all" Dr. Gilbert Thomas who has opened a new Maternity hospital for women to have their babies at, "pain-free" with the help of a little twilight sleep. His ridiculous remedies and theories of women's fits of hysteria and the cures therein (think of The Road to Wellville) were unfortunately, quite accurate for the time. Of course Dr. Thomas would like all the women to choose his practice because that means more money in his pocket. Therefore, he needs to convince Dora (and the community) that she really must end her midwifery days.

Dora finds herself rushing to Halifax, thrown into the aftermath of the Halifax explosion to care for the pregnant women who were launched into premature labour from the impact of the explosion.

She finds herself fleeing to Boston, where she questions her small-town existence as she is inspired by the women's movement and also unknowingly by Miss Honey, one of the girls at Paddy Malloy's Playhouse nextdoor.

As the years go by, we watch Dora grow out of her shell and become the woman she is intended to be, and her life unfolds, just as Miss B. predicted it would: in a house full of babies.

***

The characters are each unique and memorable. You can certainly find something to detest or adore about each of them - no matter how small a role they play. The research that McKay has done for this book is thorough, and she even calls on real historical events that greatly impact the lives of the residents of Scots Bay (the war, the Halifax explosion, for example).

In fact, I was surprised to discover that the entire premise of this book is based on the life of a real midwife who used to live in the house that McKay bought in Nova Scotia.

Read the book, and then go to McKay's website, http://www.thebirthhouse.com/ to discover the conception of the novel, learn tidbits of history (such as midwifery in the early 1900s, groups like the Occasional Knitter's Society, and yes, even the early uses of the vibrator to cure hysteria), and even have your tea leaves read to see what the future holds for you.

This was by far, one of the most wonderful, engaging reads I have ever had. The storyline had me engrossed from start to finish. And the design is perfectly detailed. There are even notes from the Willow Book included at the end (just in case you need a little Beaver Brew or Raspberry Tea).

1, 2, 3 Vampire Hunters! MWAH-Ah-ahhh!

When I picked up the unabridged audio CD of The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova, I thought I was in for a real treat because I had heard quite a bit of buzz about this book. And, well, let's face it. I DID have that short vampire obsession phase back in college with Anne Rice's chronicles.

This audiobook boasts an ensemble cast of SIX readers, which is way more than typical. I do like the fact that there were so many different voices because it made the book feel more like one of those old radio mystery programs, which was kind of cool. The sound effects and menacing music were great for about the first disc, but then you just start expecting them, and it starts to sound silly. Something dramatic concludes the chapter, and right on cue: Dah, dah, daaaaaaaah from the orchestra.

But I do have to say that the utter dissapointment in this audiobook reached a climax with the entrance of Dracula himself. I kid you not, he sounded just like Count the Count from Sesame Street:



I was just waiting for the moment when he says, "I vant to suck your blooooood!" Terrible stereotyping of what Hollywood has done to Dracula. Seriously, I laughed through the rest of it.

If I had read the book, I'm sure I would have enjoyed the story a lot more.

So if you're into vampires and whatnot, I'd say, stick with Anne Rice. She's got it down.

What Oprah's Reading

Oprah has announced that The Road by Cormac McCarthy is her latest book club selection. I haven't read it yet, but maybe I should add it to my spring challenge list! It sounds pretty great:

A father and his son walk alone through burned America. Nothing moves in the ravaged landscape save the ash on the wind. It is cold enough to crack stones, and when the snow falls it is gray. The sky is dark. Their destination is the coast, although they don't know what, if anything, awaits them there. They have nothing; just a pistol to defend themselves against the lawless bands that stalk the road, the clothes they are wearing, a cart of scavenged food-—and each other.

Have you read it yet?