Kylie Posted January 14, 2016 Author Share Posted January 14, 2016 I spoke in the heat of the moment. In the heat of my anger. Too much Trump posts on imgur and I'm so turned off by American politics. I didn't mean to imply I'd never read it. I will, at some point... When I've forgiven the book for being about American politics I do trust your opinion on it being funny! I understand your point! Al Franken's book makes fun of people like Trump (but not Trump himself, because it was written before Trump entered politics). I would love to read what Franken has to say about Trump, but I suspect his comedic writing days might be over, because Franken has entered politics himself since the book was published (he's a senator in Minnesota and is apparently doing a very good job!) I really loved the book, but I would hesitate to recommend it to you (or anyone else). I think it really depends on the individual and their take on politics (and their sense of humour, as Franken's humour borders on meanness). As I think I mentioned elsewhere, I'm not particularly into politics, but I enjoy seeing people called out for lying, so it was a winner for me. That is a clever idea! And I have that too, sometimes I also think those things. It's not just you . Good to know it's not just me! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted January 14, 2016 Author Share Posted January 14, 2016 I've had a stellar start to the reading year! I've been taking full advantage of a lull in my work to read as much as I can (bonus: reading takes my mind off the fact that I'm not earning any money!) I've read five books already (10% of my Goodreads goal!) Even better, all of the books I've read so far have been truly wonderful. Happy Kylie. And in some non-book-related news, I'm adopting a new cat! I was supposed to get her last week, but a vet check-up revealed some teeth problems. After having some teeth removed, she had to stay in familiar surroundings at the animal shelter while she recovered, so the adoption was put off for a week. I went to visit her earlier in the week (having previously meet her briefly at my house), and the shelter owner will be bringing her to my place tonight. Yay! The kitty is a gorgeous tortoise-shell girl who is around 4 years old (close in age to my boy Jasper, who is 5). Here's a pic that I took of her at our first meeting (not a great pic because she was in her carrier). More photos will undoubtedly follow! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted January 14, 2016 Share Posted January 14, 2016 Oh boy oh boy oh boy, such exciting news!!! She's so cute! Keep us updated Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted January 15, 2016 Share Posted January 15, 2016 Well done on reading a lot of books already . She looks beautiful ! I wish you, Jasper and the new feline happy times together. What's her name? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nollaig Posted January 15, 2016 Share Posted January 15, 2016 She is very cute, I do like tortoiseshell cats, even if I'm not very fond of cats in general Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AbielleRose Posted January 15, 2016 Share Posted January 15, 2016 She''s so gorgeous!! Have you decided on her name? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted January 15, 2016 Share Posted January 15, 2016 I will just leave this right here.... Nooo! You can't say that and not tell me what it is! What are you reading? Want to read this year: The Phantom Tollbooth Humph. I won't hold my breath. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted January 16, 2016 Author Share Posted January 16, 2016 Oh boy oh boy oh boy, such exciting news!!! She's so cute! Keep us updated Thanks! I'm super excited too. Well done on reading a lot of books already . She looks beautiful ! I wish you, Jasper and the new feline happy times together. What's her name? She''s so gorgeous!! Have you decided on her name? Thanks Gaia and Abby! I agree. She's so beautiful. The name she came with is Renaye, but I'm going to change it to Scout, named after the character in my favourite book, To Kill a Mockingbird. She is very cute, I do like tortoiseshell cats, even if I'm not very fond of cats in general Thanks Noll! My Mum's not too fond of cats (or animals in general), but she has become quite fond of Jasper over time, and she sent me a text first thing this morning asking how Renaye/Scout had settled in. The shelter dropped off Scout at my place at lunchtime on Friday. I'd set up the bathroom with food, litter, blanket (I lined the bathtub with my good white blanket!), bed, scratching post, toys etc. She'll be staying in there at first until she gets used to her new surroundings. Then I'll start introducing her to Jasper and letting her explore the rest of the house. For the first 24 hours she didn't touch her food or water and just stayed huddled in a little nook next to the bathtub. That was pretty much to be expected, but I was a bit worried because she needed to take her medication, which I had mixed in with her (uneaten) food. The lady from the shelter ended up coming over this afternoon and used a gadget thing to make her take a pill. I feel much better now that she's had her meds, and she's now eaten a full sachet of food, so I'm optimistic that I won't have trouble with her pill tomorrow. She's been in the litter tray but did at least part of her business outside of it. When I went in to check on her earlier, she came straight out of her hidey hole and spent ages walking around me and rubbing up against me, which is a great sign. Tomorrow I'm going to take a pillow in there and make myself comfy in the bathtub with a book so she can get more used to being around me. Even though the shelter lady told me to wait a week before introducing her to Jasper, my partner (N), who has had a lot of cats in his lifetime, decided he wanted to try things his way (i.e., waiting no time at all), so he let her out yesterday (against my wishes!). She and Jasper just kind of looked at each other and then wandered downstairs together, and then Jasper ran back upstairs and hid under the bed! So much for asserting his authority over his territory! Then N let Scout out again today (when I wasn't paying attention) and let her roam around. Jasper didn't bolt this time, but he sat partway up the stairs and watched her warily. I don't think there'll be any problems at all between these two. No words were spoken between them. Scout pretty much ignored Jasper because she was more interested in checking out her new surroundings, and Jasper seemed a bit weirded out, but not cranky or particularly scared. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted January 16, 2016 Author Share Posted January 16, 2016 I will just leave this right here.... Squeeee! I wanted to ask but was afraid it wouldn't be true! You better finish it this time, woman! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AbielleRose Posted January 16, 2016 Share Posted January 16, 2016 So glad she and Jasper seem to be headed towards a good friendship! I'm so excited for you and more pictures! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted January 17, 2016 Author Share Posted January 17, 2016 So glad she and Jasper seem to be headed towards a good friendship! I'm so excited for you and more pictures! I'll try not to post too many pics...but since you asked... I went and sat in the bathtub for a while, and she hopped in with me for a bit and rubbed against me. She hasn't been game enough to get on my lap yet (maybe she's not a lap cat), but we're getting there. And she seems to have regained her appetite. When I went in this morning, she had eaten the bowl of food we put down yesterday and the bowl we'd put down the day before that! Then I put a little more food out and she ate it in front of me. I couldn't stay in there as long as I planned because Jasper came and sat outside the door and was constantly meowing. Of course, when I eventually went out, he'd left and has barely been near me since. It's like he's thinking 'I don't want you, but I don't want anyone else to have you either'. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AbielleRose Posted January 17, 2016 Share Posted January 17, 2016 Judging from that photo I think she'll be a lap cat. Heh, sounds like Jasper is having some sibling rivalry already! That's such a cute pic She sure is a beautiful kitteh! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted January 17, 2016 Share Posted January 17, 2016 She is so pretty ! I'm glad she and Jasper are getting on okay, I hope she will settle in well . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nollaig Posted January 17, 2016 Share Posted January 17, 2016 Jasper's thinking seems to be in line with that of most cats I've met! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted January 22, 2016 Share Posted January 22, 2016 I understand your point! Al Franken's book makes fun of people like Trump (but not Trump himself, because it was written before Trump entered politics). I would love to read what Franken has to say about Trump, but I suspect his comedic writing days might be over, because Franken has entered politics himself since the book was published (he's a senator in Minnesota and is apparently doing a very good job!) Let's not get started on Trump.... I still can't believe that he's seriously running for president. I thought it was a joke when I first heard of it!!! Oh Franken, the shoe's now on the other foot... Or what was it... But if he's doing a good job then he need not fear! I wonder if peacefield would keep us posted Remember how you and I met the two Americans and talked about Schwarzenegger? I really loved the book, but I would hesitate to recommend it to you (or anyone else). I think it really depends on the individual and their take on politics (and their sense of humour, as Franken's humour borders on meanness). As I think I mentioned elsewhere, I'm not particularly into politics, but I enjoy seeing people called out for lying, so it was a winner for me. I'm not sure about mean humor, it's a very relative subject in my humble opinion. But when it's about politicians? Bring it They have it coming!! Calling politicians out for lying? It's a neverending task!!! Good to hear you've been making a brilliant start to your reading year! What does Scout think about all your books? Is she treating them with more consideration than Jasper? I'm so happy that the shelter people helped you with her medications when she got in. Shelter people do a great job, props to them! I'm happy that you're now able to give her the meds yourself, it'll make life easier. Is she still having to take meds? I'm super happy to hear she was walking around you and rubbing up against you! She seems like one to love cuddles? Yay! How did the reading time in the bath tub go with her? I'm a bit surprised by Jasper's initial reaction to her. But I'm also pleased! It could've gone a lot worse! Squeeee! I wanted to ask but was afraid it wouldn't be true! You better finish it this time, woman! Oi! That wasn't very nice... It's not like I've not finished the novel, on purpose, the two ealier times. I did finish it this time, as you know by now Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppyshake Posted January 22, 2016 Share Posted January 22, 2016 Scout is so pretty Glad to hear that Jasper is .. at least .. tolerating her This bodes extremely well for the future as I expect if he had any issues he would have voiced them by now. Hope she continues to settle in as well as she is doing. Aww I do envy you your puss cat cuddles Give them both an extra squeeze from me Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet Posted January 23, 2016 Share Posted January 23, 2016 How is Scout settIing in? I hope you have a great year of reading, Kylie. I shall look forward to following your blog. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted February 4, 2016 Author Share Posted February 4, 2016 <sigh> I typed up a long post and then lost it when I had to restart my computer. Let's try again... Thank you for all the kind words about Scout. She's settling in very well. Frankie, no, she is not treating my books with respect. I glanced into my library one day and saw that two shelves of books were on the floor. She must have pulled them out so she could hide in the space behind them. I've now closed the library off so she can't get in. Then a couple of days later I found a few of my downstairs non-fiction books on the floor in front of their bookcases. This was not long after I had just finished tidying those shelves. I've had an excellent start to the reading year. I read 7 books in January, and those were read in around 3 weeks, as I was flat out with work for 1 week. I rated most of them 8 or 9 out of 10, which is excellent (I'm a tough marker—not too many books get full marks). Summary Matt Haig The Boy Called Christmas 9/10 Barbara Sleigh Carbonel 7/10Al Franken Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them 8/10Jon Ronson So You've Been Publicly Shamed 9/10David Mitchell Slade House 9/10Michel Faber Under the Skin 8/10Robert Kirkman The Walking Dead Compendium #1 (ebook) 8/10 Tonight I finished a book I started last month: The Dig Tree by Sarah Murgatroyd. It was an excellent and enlightening read on a period of exploration that I always wanted to know more about: Burke and Wills' expedition to traverse inland Australia from Melbourne in the south to the Gulf of Carpentaria in the north. The expedition was disorganised and full of inexperienced people. It did not end well. To put it briefly, Burke and Wills (and two other members, Gray and King) separated from the main party and later missed a rendezvous with them by a matter of hours (the main party having waited more than 4 months for them). Members of a rescue party then went back to see if they had returned, but by then Burke, Wills and King had left by another route (Gray had died earlier), and they were missed again. Burke and Wills died sad and lonely deaths, and King was rescued by local Aborigines who looked after him for months until a search party found him. It's a terribly tragic tale of bad timing and incompetence, but also a fascinating and compelling story. Highly recommended if you're interested in early Australian history and exploration. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted February 4, 2016 Author Share Posted February 4, 2016 In other news, I've been asked to be the Stage Manager (SM) for The Sound of Music, which my amateur theatre group is doing in May/June. I went along to a rehearsal last night, having missed the first couple of rehearsals. Now, keep in mind that I've only done two shows before. The first was Twelve Angry Men, which was an easy job because I just had to make sure there were 12 men and that they had a few props before they went on stage. No one left the stage during the show, so I didn't have to worry about getting people into position for entrances etc. As soon as they went on stage, I sat down with a book and a torch and read for the next couple of hours. Easy peasy. The second show was Don't Dress for Dinner, which had about half a dozen cast members but more comings and goings from the stage, and more props (including me manually ringing a phone from the side of the stage). It was more challenging, and I had to be on my toes all the time, but it was still fairly easy. Now imagine a musical (which I've never done before) involving at least a dozen children (I'm not good with kids and have no idea how to talk to them), 2-3 dozen nuns for the chorus, and countless other cast and crew. And I only know a few of them from past shows, so there are dozens of faces and names to learn. Gulp. And have I ever mentioned that I'm extremely introverted, very shy and hate being the centre of attention? So I entered the main auditorium last night and was greeted by the director, who I had worked with on the previous show. She introduced me to the musical director (MD), who said that she'd heard I was a great SM. Aww. Then the MD said 'Everyone! This is Kylie, the Stage Manager!' Cue dozens of pairs of eyes staring at me and greeting me. I hate being the centre of attention, even if it's only for a couple of seconds! A while later, all the nuns started filing in to practice a couple of songs. The MD introduced me and made me stand up so everyone could see me, and then told them that I have to do everything I say. Geez, I can only imagine how embarrassed I looked. I am so socially awkward! And this was only part of the group. There are many more cast and crew I have to meet, but they're spaced out across rehearsals because they can't have everyone rehearsing at once. I don't have the loudest voice, and I'm pretty much the least confident and authoritative person I know, so I don't know how I'm going to go with ordering all of these people around and making sure they have what they need and that they go where they're supposed to go! But the challenge is kind of fun. It'll help me be less reclusive for a few months, and everyone seems super nice, so I'm sure it'll be fine. I was wondering (quite seriously) whether I should take a pot and spoon so I can bang the pot when I need people's attention. I mentioned that to my Mum and she should I should borrow Captain Von Trapp's whistle. That's actually a brilliant idea. I think I have a whistle around the house from my SES days, so I might take that along. I have no hope of being heard over dozens of excitable actors getting ready for a show! In fact, I'll be needed in so many places at once that I've been told I can have 'minions'. I think just one will do (time will tell if I need more help). So my first order of business is to find an assistant (anyone want to come over and help me?) And then I have to start learning some names, otherwise it will be 'Excuse me, but can you, you, you and you go over there?' By the way, after just a couple of rehearsals, the large choir of nuns sounds FABULOUS. It's going to be an awesome show. Also, I'm going to be very heavily involved in the group's second production for the year, The 39 Steps, which we'll be starting to prepare for some time while The Sound of Music is in production, so I'm going to be very busy soon! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted February 5, 2016 Share Posted February 5, 2016 I'm glad you had a great reading month in January . How exciting you get to be the Stage Manager for The Sound of Music. Good luck, I hope it will be lots of fun . I totally get about not wanting to be the centre of attention, I don't like that either. I hope it will all go well . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted February 5, 2016 Author Share Posted February 5, 2016 Thanks Athena. And thanks for reading through all of that post! I do prattle on a bit, don't I? I've started reading Strangers on a Train by Patricia Highsmith. She's become one of my favourite authors over the past few years. This is the first non-Ripley book I've read by her, but I know it'll be fab. I watched Hitchcock's movie not too long ago, and I loved it, so although I already know the story, I don't mind because I'll enjoy Highsmith's story and writing anyway. High smith and Hitchcock are a wonderful combination. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted February 5, 2016 Share Posted February 5, 2016 Thanks Athena. And thanks for reading through all of that post! I do prattle on a bit, don't I? I liked reading it . I sometimes ramble a bit too so don't worry . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted February 5, 2016 Share Posted February 5, 2016 Good luck with The Sound of Music Kylie, hopefully now you've been introduced once, you can stay in the background! I'd absolutely hate being the centre of attention like that too, but fingers crossed, it was a one off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted February 5, 2016 Share Posted February 5, 2016 Thank you for all the kind words about Scout. She's settling in very well. Frankie, no, she is not treating my books with respect. I glanced into my library one day and saw that two shelves of books were on the floor. She must have pulled them out so she could hide in the space behind them. I've now closed the library off so she can't get in. Then a couple of days later I found a few of my downstairs non-fiction books on the floor in front of their bookcases. This was not long after I had just finished tidying those shelves. She's been taking lessons from Jasper!! But apart from that, things are going great, right? Michel Faber Under the Skin 8/10 Wohoo, 8/10!! Frankie's well happy Hehe, you'll be SM for SM Well okay SoM. Technically. Sounds like you'll have your hands full with the whole lot this time, in comparison to the previous production! But I'm certain you'll do great They wouldn't have asked you if you didn't. Coincidentally I went to see a musical this Monday, and I was thinking about how the people did all the different scenes and how they needed to have their props and all, and do it all without the audience noticing. (There was a lot of moving pieces in this show, they had to move staircases and all that jazz.) It's the sort of thing you'll be doing!! I think you should definitely bring in the whistle Oh man, if I lived there, I'd love to be your minion!!! You could boss me around and I'd be like, 'yes miss Kylie, yes ma'am!!' I hope you will have lots of fun with it all!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted February 11, 2016 Author Share Posted February 11, 2016 Good luck with The Sound of Music Kylie, hopefully now you've been introduced once, you can stay in the background! I'd absolutely hate being the centre of attention like that too, but fingers crossed, it was a one off. Thanks Claire! I haven't been back to another rehearsal yet. If you're going to be working with children here (either officially or as a volunteer), you have to get a 'Working with Children' check done (I guess this is probably done in many countries these days?) It's a bit of a bother. I had to fill in a form online and then go to a registry to submit it. They'll do a background check on me to make sure I'm a good person, and then I'll officially be right to go. It's terrible that we have to go through this, but totally understandable. Technically we shouldn't attend rehearsals until we're cleared, so I thought I'd try to do the right thing. Hehe, you'll be SM for SM Well okay SoM. Technically. Sounds like you'll have your hands full with the whole lot this time, in comparison to the previous production! But I'm certain you'll do great They wouldn't have asked you if you didn't. Coincidentally I went to see a musical this Monday, and I was thinking about how the people did all the different scenes and how they needed to have their props and all, and do it all without the audience noticing. (There was a lot of moving pieces in this show, they had to move staircases and all that jazz.) It's the sort of thing you'll be doing!! I think you should definitely bring in the whistle Oh man, if I lived there, I'd love to be your minion!!! You could boss me around and I'd be like, 'yes miss Kylie, yes ma'am!!' That show sounds fun! Did you enjoy it? The next show we'll be doing (N and I) has many props that need to be moved on and off the stage by non-actors during the show. I'm not sure if I'll have to go onto the stage myself, but I'll do everything I can to avoid it! I'm sure I'll be able to find some willing people to do the running around while I oversee it all. It would be so much fun to work with you! We'd have an absolute ball! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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