Category Archives: Randonymity

Linkity linkity link, Randonymity, Reading, Reviewettes, Tales of the Neighborhood

And then there was thundersnow…

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Let’s just admire this traditional postcard shot (from last July) of downtown Minneapolis (taken from the Sculpture Garden with Spoonbridge and Cherry in the forefront) until spring arrives, shall we?

It’s very snowy here at the moment. *sigh* (And the Cherry’s been removed from the Spoonbridge in order to be repainted. Probably the Dish will run away with the Spoonbridge before all is said and done.)

I have to admit that I felt a little silly yesterday at 11:30 when I left the office to do a few errands on my way to work from home for the rest of the day. Sure, the sky was a bit ominous, but it wasn’t precipitating. I stopped at the library. When I came out 10 minutes later, a few scattered snowflakes were falling. Next I stopped at the Wedge Co-op. When I came out 20 minutes later, I had to brush about 0.25″ of snow from my car windows. By the time I got home at 12:30, conditions were near whiteout! In fact, around 4″ of snow fell in the next hour or two. I felt a lot less silly at that point. 🙂

This looks like a lot more fun than badminton.

Poor baby!! Eeep!!

SciFiGuy.ca has posted a list of the urban fantasy, paranormal, fantasy, and science fiction releases for March. And the new Uncle Hugo’s (scifi/fantasy/paranormal) and Uncle Edgar’s (mystery) newsletter is out – I really look forward to receiving this each quarter.

Reading Update
Hot Mail by Janice Maynard. Extremely steamy non-paranormal romance. I got annoyed at one of the female characters, but maybe it’s because I could see too much of myself in her. 🙂
The Cat’s Meow by Emily Carmichael. I confess I picked up this romance/mystery solely because it had a black cat on the cover. I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed this well-written story of a high-powered attorney who develops amnesia and starts to hear her black cat Nefriti talking to her and giving her advice. I’ll be reading the other interconnected books.
Smart and Sexy (Sky High Air, Book 1) by Jill Shalvis. A nice solid non-paranormal romance. The male characters featured in these books own an air-charter business in California.
Caressed by Ice (Psy-Changelings, Book 3) by Nalini Singh. This is a very, very good paranormal romance series. Definitely recommended. The next book is already waiting on my book stand!
Angel’s Pawn: A Companion Novella to “Angel’s Blood” by Nalini Singh. Ebook. A decent read, but without the punch of Angel’s Blood. I’d recommend reading Angel’s Blood first to get familiar with the world. But then again – maybe it was just the ebook format, giving the reading experience a very different feel. Guess which reading experience I prefer? 🙂

“You put your left paw in, you put your left paw out, you put your left paw in and…. zzzzzzzzz….” -Chaos

Randonymity

IKEA Wonderland

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At last – the big reveal on my little IKEA living room redesign.

Of course, I didn’t really think to take a before picture until I was halfway done. 🙂 But if you picture stacks of books on the floor and cds and dvds stacked beside and on top of the tv, you’ll get the gist of it. You will actually get to see the intermediate pictures at some point, because the cats were (no surprise) very, very curious and involved with the whole project.

“I am a fierce panther girl, leaping from a branch onto an unsuspecting deer furry pink mouse. Fear me!” -Mayhem

Randonymity

IKEAed

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I went to IKEA four times in eight days during the last two weeks. Since my regular level of shopping is a weekly visit to my co-op, a Target trip for kitty litter and sundries once every other month, and a Rainbow Foods trip for frozen orange juice every eight to ten weeks, the IKEA thing was pretty over the top for me. Rest assured that I have done my part to stimulate the Swedish economy.

Many thanks to Jeanne and her husband for providing both a pickup and muscle support to transport the pile of boxes below from IKEA, up two flights of stairs, and into my condo. This picture was taken after I’d already assembled one BILLY bookcase – for full box city effect, you should picture one more of the long box on the right. Yup, things were pretty crowded in my living room last week. (Do you recognize the tv in the picture below?)

It sure took a lot of space to hold the contents of the old cd racks and tv cabinet until I assembled the new storage system. For bonus points, can you spot the cat in the picture below?

There are two cats in this picture. Can you find them both? If so, can you figure out which is which? (Sorry, no bonus points – if you figured out where the cat was in the previous picture, this one’s easy.)

*zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz…* -Chaos

*zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz…* -Mayhem

Have a great weekend, everyone! May it be as productive for all of you as I hope it is for me.

Randonymity, Those Cats

Ch-ch-ch-changes

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“Y’know, Mayhem, I have to say I’m not pleased with Mom deciding to rip apart our living room just because she wants some stupid new furniture.” -Chaos

“No kidding, big kitty. She didn’t even ask us about it! She really hurt my feelings.” *sniff* -Mayhem

“Hmm. I wonder if I can open these doors…” -Chaos

“But big kitty, Mom is giving away this cabinet! What if you get locked in and given away?! What if she gives the cabinet to the vet???” -Mayhem

Randonymity, Reading, Reviewettes

Accursed squirrel

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When I woke up Tuesday morning, it was -18F, with a -36F windchill. Wednesday morning was slightly warmer (-8F with a -22F windchill or somesuch). I managed to work from home both days – will today (also to be bitterly cold) be the day my boss demands my presence at the office? Can’t he just wait until Friday, when the projected +9F means I might not even need a coat?! 😉 (Update, Thursday, 1/15/2009, 7:30 am CST: It’s -21F. *whimper*)

It’s good I was home Tuesday afternoon, because otherwise I would never have known how this happened:

A squirrel clung to the side of my building (I’m on the third floor) and gnawed a hole in my nearly brand new screen while two very overwrought black kitties thumped their (obviously ineffective) Paws O’ Death against the glass mere inches away. Yeah, it was really cold out there if dying a bloody death was looking good to that insane squirrel.

Reading Update
Dawn’s Awakening (The Breeds, Book 4) and Mercury’s War (The Breeds, Book 16) by Lora Leigh. Ok, so technically Mercury’s War is the fifth book, but apparently it’s the 16th story if you count everything that’s been in anthologies and whatnot, so the numbering went really weird. Whatever. These continue to not be the best written stuff you’ll find. They also continue to be pretty graphic. Mercury’s War had several gaping plot holes to make the story work. Only – it didn’t really, because hello! Plot holes.
Flat-Out Sexy by Erin McCarthy. Steamy, well-written NASCAR romance with a sequel on the way.
Wait Till Your Vampire Gets Home (Broken Heart, Oklahoma, Book 4) by Michelle Bardsley. Very light, chick litty paranormal romance. Best quote: “Yep… We need a loogie from a real dragon.”
On the Prowl (Tales of an Urban Werewolf, Book 2) by Karen MacInerney. Austin werewolf Sophie Garou returns in the second book of this series. I have no qualms about continuing to follow her adventures.
All I Want for Christmas is a Vampire (Love at Stake, Book 5) by Kerrelyn Sparks. Ok vampire tale – not great, but definitely readable.
Fangs But No Fangs (The Young Brothers, Book 2) by Kathy Love. A blogging vampire living in a trailer park and waiting tables at a karaoke bar? Yup.
Unravel Me by Christie Ridgway. The second in this chick lit knitting series was another good read. (The next book, out in June, will be Dirty Sexy Knitting. Hee hee.)
Dog Days by John Levitt. The first in a newish urban fantasy series about Mason, a San Francisco jazz guitarist and magic practitioner, and his dog/ifrit, Lou. I’ll definitely keep reading – in fact, the next book is already in my TBR stack.
A Hunger Like No Other, No Rest for the Wicked, Wicked Deeds on a Winter’s Night, and Dark Needs at Night’s Edge (The Immortals After Dark, Books 1-4) by Kresley Cole. Ok, I let the traditional romance-style covers of the first few books in this series scare me away for quite a while, but I’m glad I got past that (and not just because the guy on the cover of Book 4 is so hot) – this is an excellent paranormal series. Highly recommended (sorry, Carrie K – while there are werewolves, there are also vampires).

“It is ever so exhausting having Mom home all the time, because I have to keep track of her and bring her fetch toys to throw for me every time she goes to sit down on that shiny white chair.” -Mayhem

Contests, Randonymity

Happy Delurking Day! *hint hint* ;)

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Today is Delurking Day!

I’d like to take a moment to thank those of you who comment regularly – you definitely help me feel more connected to the knitting and/or blogging community and I always appreciate your support and insights. If you haven’t commented before, or you don’t comment often, why not give it a shot today? I always reply to comments that have a valid email address. 🙂 (Well, ok, except for the happy birthday comments for Jeanne – she read your comments and definitely appreciated them!)

Limedragon is having a contest – leave her a comment by January 13, midnight CST, and you could win a copy of Blogging Tips: What bloggers won’t tell you about blogging.

Toronto music blogger Frank of Chromewaves is giving away two Phillips GoGear mp3 players – one to a US resident and another (better!) one to a Canadian resident. Contest closes January 17, midnight EST.

Have you heard about the Chunkster Challenge? (A chunkster is a 450+ page book of adult literature – no Twilight, no Harry Potter, no audiobooks.) Amy sums it up nicely and provides a link to the official site. Worth checking out if only for the amusing button.

More on the increased library use during our economically troubled times.

Too bad this lamp/bookmark is only a concept – it’s very clever.

Author Carrie Vaughn has an interesting three-part analysis of urban fantasy. (The link is to part 1.)

If you enjoy reading, erm, “racy” paranormal romances, you’ll probably get a giggle out of this NSFW blog entry.

Playing Tetris can wipe out bad memories?! Is this the future of PTSD treatment?

If you live in the Twin Cities and you’d like to see the Presidential Inauguration on the big screen, the Riverview Theater will be showing it. Admission is free.

Brace yourselves – you’re going to get a cute burn from this one.

“Really, Mom, I love pink feathers, but that little thing is just pathetic.” -Mayhem

Contests, Randonymity, Reading, Reviewettes

My kingdom for an inspired title…

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It’s January, so it’s time to knit preemie hats for k3tog! Although the blog is gone, you can head over to their Ravelry group.

Kelle’s looking for submissions for Yarnival. Submit soon, because she’ll be publishing on January 15.

I think that Amy’s picture really captures the essence of the Minnesota State Fair experience – what do you think?

The Uptown Mpls Blog’s top 20 pictures of 2008 are worth a look.

Hee hee – did you see xkcd’s guide to converting to the metric system?

Isn’t this a scary thought?!

Too true!

This is how I felt upon returning to my usual work schedule (start at 6:30 am) yesterday morning…

Do not let your kitties read Perry and Emily’s New Year’s resolutions!

Here’s a link to a thoughtful article in defense of buying books. While the majority of my reading material is from the public library, I do purchase some books and I’m making sure to do so from local stores that I want to stay in business.

Literary Escapism’s latest Escapist Newsletter has a truly mind boggling list of urban fantasy/paranormal romance links – upcoming releases, author interviews, and much more.

The bloggers at Book Binge have listed their favorite heroes of 2008 – do you agree or disagree? I left a few of mine in the comments. Flashing back to my crushes on fictional characters thing, I think I have to add Wrath, Zsadist, Butch, and Vishous from the Black Dagger Brotherhood.

If you’re a fan of vampire books, check out The Ultimate VampList – and remember that it’s divided by subject, so if you don’t see an author that you expect, he or she may simply be on a different page.

Reading Update
Lover Enshrined (The Black Dagger Brotherhood, Book 6) by J.R. Ward. Disappointing. Important to read before the next book comes out this spring, but this book doesn’t have the immersive qualities of the previous five. I think Ward spent too much time on other story elements and not enough time on Phury beyond his addiction issues. (Um, I may also have reread the first four books – at least most of them. Skipped most of the bits about the lessers the second time.)
Dead After Dark by Sherrilyn Kenyon, J.R. Ward, Susan Squires, and Dianna Love. Kenyon’s story about the Were-Hunter Fury was ok, but not great. Ward’s story was set in the same city as her Black Dagger Brotherhood books, but wasn’t about any of the familiar characters.
Zen and the Art of Vampires (Dark Ones, Book 6) by Katie MacAlister. Cliffhanger. You know how I feel about them. Hmph. Plus this book was crazy confusing. I kept reading, hoping for clarity.
Fangs for the Memories (The Young Brothers, Book 1) by Kathy Love. Light paranormal romance about a vampire with amnesia who doesn’t remember that he’s a vampire.
Anyway You Want It by Kathy Love. The first in a nameless series about lampir (energy vampire) brothers who live in New Orleans. (The second book, which I read a few weeks ago, is I Want You To Want Me.)
Megan’s Mark, Harmony’s Way, and Tanner’s Scheme (The Breeds, Books 1-3) by Lora Leigh. Not the best written stuff on the planet, but the premise is intriguing. These are extremely graphic.
Degrees of Separation (Jessie Arnold Mysteries) by Sue Henry. I have to admit to getting this series a bit confused with Dana Stabenow’s Kate Shugak mysteries! Anyway, in this latest Jessie Arnold mystery, Jessie’s knee is finally healed and she’s back to mushing.

“And now what are you doing, Mom?! You are so weird. Can’t let you out of my sight for a minute, can I?!” -Mayhem

Contests, Randonymity, Reading, Reviewettes

A picture of sartorial elegance… not

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The sartorial elegance bit? It ran through my head when I was taking out the trash yesterday, wearing my Ruby Sheep PJ bottoms, a black sweatshirt, and a dark red and black plaid wool coat. Hmm. Maybe I’ve been working at home too much… speaking of which, Monday and Tuesday were 17-hour days, so all you get for this post is a contest link, some of my wee book reviews, and a cat picture or two.

Shannah’s having a contest. Let her know what your favorite handcrafted gift was this year, and you could win some sock yarn and a surprise. Contest closes at midnight, January 6.

Reading Update
Casting Spells by Barbara Bretton. This was absolutely delightful. Recommended for knitters who enjoy a bit of fantastical romance. Plus it has a black cat on the cover. How could you go wrong?
Just Desserts by Barbara Bretton. Nothing paranormal or knitting related in this romance, but it was a decent read.
Hex Appeal by Linda Wisdom. The sequel to 50 Ways To Hex Your Lover is another enjoyable read, although there were a number of major inconsistencies that kept jolting me out of the story.
It Itches: A Stash of Knitting Cartoons by Franklin Habit. Delightful. This was a birthday present from Deb, but I’ve just been reading a cartoon here and there for the past five weeks, anticipating.
Dark Lover, Lover Eternal, Lover Awakened, Lover Revealed, and Lover Unbound (The Black Dagger Brotherhood, Books 1-5) by J.R. Ward. Very good vampire romance – I really am not able to put these down. Bits of it seemed reminiscent of the Dark-Hunters. Ward does this sort of cruel but effective bit where she starts gearing up the next book before the end of the current book. She ties up the current story, but you definitely know what the next book’s going to be about and are eager to get your hands on it. Much more effective than a complete cliffhanger, which drives me nuts. Oh, and some of the books (Lover Awakened, Lover Unbound) had me sobbing. Just so you know to have the tissues handy… Also please note that these are very, very steamy and a bit dark.
Sex and the Single Witch by Theresa Alan, Holly Chamberlain, and Carly Alexander. Very light’n’fluffy short stories that were actually a nice break from the intensity of the Black Dagger Brotherhood. However, not particularly recommended.
The Cursed One (The Wild Wulfs of London) by Ronda Thompson. One of the later books in this series about werewolves in England in the early 1800s. I enjoyed it, even though historicals tend not to be a favorite.
Wolf at the Door (The Others, Book 1) by Christine Warren. Can an Irish werewolf and a NYC foxwoman find happiness together? Kelley Armstrong’s Otherworld might have been a bit of the inspiration behind this series, but this is much lighter and more chick lit feeling.

“Oh, for fur’s sake, the last thing she needs is more pink feathers.” -Chaos

“Silly big kitty. You can never have too many pink feathers!” -Mayhem

“Unhand my feathers, Mom! Mine! Mine! Mine!!” -Mayhem

Happy New Year! I may or may not post on Friday, January 2. It’ll be a surprise to all of us.

Randonymity

Tuesday is apparently for obscured thank yous

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D’oh! I can’t believe how far behind I’ve gotten on thank yous! Bad Chris. No biscuit.

Elspeth sent me cat’n’music’n’yarn goodness. Thank you, E! Look at all the adorable kitty swag from the Japanese store near E – isn’t that fan the best?! It’s obscuring a stack of mix cds, because E and I share a deep passion for making mixes. And May is obscuring some nifty plum and black sock yarn.

“Why do you need all this cat stuff when you have me and the big kitty, Mom?” -Mayhem

Shush, May. Silly question! 😉 Jane sent me a very cool coffee towel, one of her gorgeous photo calendars for 2009, and a cute project bag she sewed (um, you have to sort of imagine the bag, since Chaos is obscuring it). Thank you, Jane!

“Hmph. All I like to do with coffee is stick my paw into it when you’re not looking, Mom.” -Chaos

Um, too much information there, Chaos. Ewww! The Paos sent Jeanne and I some lovely Christmas goodies. (They may or may not be regretting that as they work on the 1000-piece jigsaw puzzle we sent them). I received some fun stripey yarn, a purple notebook (made from recycled retail packaging), a Zip-It bag, and some of my beloved dark chocolate-covered rice cakes (tragically only available in the UK) (you have to imagine what they look like, because I’ve already eaten them). There’s also a book for Jeanne and I to share, which May is kindly obscuring (Notes on a Scandal). Thanks, Paos!

“This looks like it would be a fun toy.” -Mayhem

“Maaaaaaaaaaay. You’re obscuring my view! I can’t see the stuff!” -Chaos

I sent Susie that pair of Keen MaryJanes that just weren’t working for me, and she sent me a box of STR, black kitty book plates, Hello Kitty gum, Emily the Strange lip balm (Chaos is obscuring that), and hot pink feathery goodness for the kitties. Thanks, Susie!

“I wonder if I would like kitty gum?” -Chaos

“Hot. Pink. Feathers. Duuuuuuuuuude.” -Mayhem

May was so excited about the hot pink feathers that she stole the toy before I could even remove it from the packaging! Then she cried the entire time when I snatched it back and removed it from the packaging.

*hot pink feather fizzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz* -May’s brain