The Altar Of The Dead

The Altar Of The Dead was strange. Something easily guessed by the title. It is saturated with death. Again, this is something to be expected. Yet, there is more than just death. There is life and perhaps love.

I found myself distant from the story. Distant from the main character. Perhaps it was because I didn’t grasp how old he was at the beginning of the story. I thought he was middle-aged and tragedy just followed him. I didn’t realize that he was at that age when your friends begin dying around you. I realized his eventual age when he described going to the altar year after year.

Of course, I many not have understood because I’ve been sick and everything is kind of hazy. Though, it may be that the story didn’t connect with me. It was well written with interesting characters, who love and hate and grieve. They lived with a very real turmoil. Everything in their lives was in relation to this altar. For some reason, I just wasn’t as affected by this story as I was by James’ other works.

My Eye: Part 2

My eye is almost better. I can see normally, but my eye still gets sore by the end of the day. To much dry air at work, I think. I’ll be taking the drops until the bottle is finished. I’m not allowed to start wearing contacs again until about the end of October. The doctor wants to make sure that I am completely healed. Plus, I’ll be getting new contacs. I never want to go through this again!

The Aspern Papers

James’ The Aspern Papers was an interesting story that I enjoyed immensely. Passion can certainly lead a person to interesting places.

When I was finished, however, it did not leave me with the same excitement or questions that the other stories did. While I did not predict the ending, nor could I say that it was predictable, I definitely saw it as a distinct possibility. Was it meant to be shocking? The main character was definitely not shocked. If he was, then perhaps I would be too. After all, James did give us multi-faceted characters, with emotional range. Again, you feel as though they could be real people. James makes you empathize with them. So if the main character takes everything calmly, then so do you.

It’s good to have an emotional tie to the story. I think it makes it more enjoyable. Yet, do we lose something if we become too invested? Did I lose some of the excitement of the story by feeling the calm of the main character? It is definitely something to consider in future reading.

Celebrity Duets

I can’t believe that Jai Rodriguez got voted off Celebrity Duets!! He was clearly the best singer. By far! Did you hear him with Gladys Knight? He was amazing. How about with Patty LaBelle? Michelle Williams? Again and again, he was amazing. I just don’t understand how he could be voted off. He wasn’t the only good singer, there are others, but Jai Rodriguez was fabulous.

Is that the problem? I wonder. Was he too fabulous? Part of the Fab Five? Lucy Lawless certainly looked shocked when they were told Jai would be the one going home. So was I. So were a lot of people, I believe. The judges all thought he would be in the finally. What does that tell you?

I suppose that I’m just upset at the outcome. Jai deserved to win. I really thought he would win. He seemed to work the hardest and want it the most. What can really be said? The decision has been made. We live with these upsets, these injustices. They look trivial on the outside, but I think they are deeper than they first appear. Besides this, there is nothing that can be done. We just have to see what happens next with the show and with Jai Rodriguez.

Daisy Miller

The second novella in my Henry James collection, a mere sixty pages, was very intriguing. I could tell why Daisy Miller was one of James’ most famous stories. The characters are palpable. You can believe that they exist or at least, existed at the end of the 19th century. They have real emotions, quirks and thoughts. These personality traits feel appropriate, not just to the story, but to the characters as real people.

James uses the title character, Daisy Miller, to discuss the behaviour and customs of Europe. Winterbourne, a man with clear affection for Daisy, questions these taboos. Why is her behaviour so wrong? Why shouldn’t she enjoy the company of her male friend? Why shouldn’t she speak and act as she chooses?

Spoiler

In the end, Daisy Miller dies. Is this punishment for her bad behaviour? Did she deserve death? I certainly don’t think so. Perhaps her death was a punishment to Winterbourne (and to everyone else?) for doubting her. Daisy’s final, cryptic message leaves Winterbourne confused. Why would she want him to know that she was never engaged to the Italian? Daisy cared for Winterbourne. She might have wanted to carry that affection further. However, her reasons for the message might have been more simple or selfish. Daisy may have just been trying to save her reputation. It’s difficult to tell, but the story gets you thinking about an individual’s motives.

My Eyes

I've been having a slight medical difficulty. I have tiny ulcers on the surface of my eyes (the left far worse than the right.) My eyes started bothering me on Wednesday the 6th and seeing out of the left one was difficult. Everything was foggy and out of focus. So Thursday I went to the clinic just a few units over from where I work. The doctor saw me and told me that I had to go to the emergency room right away and see the specialist. I went back to work (very anxious) and asked the graphic designer (who I like and trust) to drive me to the ER. Of course, our boss made her stay and he drove me instead. He totally had me going nuts by the time we got there; he actually made me more anxious than when I left. The designer would have had me much calmer.

Anyway, the doctor checked me out and told me what was wrong. He said it was brought on by my contacs not fitting properly. But he was surprised that it happened in the summer. Usually this sort of thing only happens in the winter when the air is dry. I told him that I work in a very dry environment. He asked where I worked. When I explained it to him, his response was, Oh... So even though my workplace didn't cause my problem, it was definitely a contributing factor. I also don't think it's helping me get better. But we have no sick days, so I can't take any time off.

I'm going for a follow-up on the 18th with the specialist I saw in the ER. Hopefully, I'm either be better by then or I get to file some Worker's Comp paperwork.... My boss is totally in denial. He was surprised that my eyes didn't magically get better over the weekend! I told another co-worker (a soon to be supervisor) and she said that if he admits to anything, he's probably afraid that he'll have to pay for it. He's so frustrating.

[Hidden Message Below]
So for health and other reasons, I've officially began looking for a new job. I've updated my resume. I'm having a friend who works in HR read it over for me. Hopefully I find a job where my co-worker isn't fluffing the boss.

An International Episode

What happened? Why was Lord Lambeth so distraught? Why did Bessie Alden make him leave? Did he propose? Did she reject him? Was she really not in love with him at all?

I just finished reading a short novel by Henry James, An International Episode. After my last novel, I decided to turn to the classics. I am reading through a collection of six James Novellas. They were written over the course of his career. Instead of writing one large piece when I’m done the collection, I thought that I would write a little something after I finish each story.

An International Episode is the first story in this collection. I though it was lovely. James showed the subtle and remarkable contrast between Americans and the English. Such presumptions and speculations. First we have two Englishmen visiting America, specifically, New York and Newport. Then we have two American ladies (whom the Englishmen met on their trip), visiting England, staying in London. It is a charming story, with an interesting ending.

I can’t wait to read Daisy Miller next. It is one of Henry James’ most famous stories. It’s always nice going back to an author that you’ve read before and are sure to enjoy.

The Distinguished Guest

Finally! I finished Sue Miller’s The Distinguished Guest. It was bad. I did not like it. I would never recommend it. Well, not totally anyway.

There is one really interesting part of the novel. It begins on page 202, four pages into Chapter 14. Lily Maynard, one of our main characters (who is, The Distinguished Guest) is being interviewed by a student who is writing her thesis on “Integration”. Her name is Marcea McKendrick. She is witty, intelligent and black. As Marcea interviews Lily, a discussion begins about whether there is a “Black English” and a “White English”. It is really interesting. Can the English language be divided into Black and White? Is it more a difference between a rural and city or uneducated and educated English? Is it just the vernacular of different social groups? Being neither Black nor White, it is difficult for me to say.

Clearly there were differences in the way people in different communities spoke and still speak. There are many dialects of English, as well as French, Spanish and any number of languages. Quebec French is different from Paris French, which is different from Cajun French. I found this one part of the novel fascinating. Would I recommend the whole novel for just ten pages? I don’t know. Probably not. That one section is worth a read though. Stop off in a library or even spend some time in a bookstore if you are interested in the subject. In the end, I’m just glad reading The Distinguished Guest wasn’t a complete waste of time.

Secret Prisons

It’s taken me a little while to get over it. But really? CIA secret prisons? Did the president of the United States really just admit that the CIA had secret prisons? Aren’t they supposed to be a secret? When something is a secret, aren’t you supposed to not talk about it? Who told him it was a good idea to talk about? Doesn’t it raise all sorts of questions? It does for me. Part of me doesn’t even want to know. As a Canadian and one of a visible minority, it makes me not want to go to the States. The CIA really can make you disappear.

Apologies

I saw War Of The Worlds last week and after quite enjoying it, I decided to write a little something about it. It began as a review:

‘Last January I read War Of The Worlds by H. G. Wells. I found it very interesting and entertaining. However, it made me hesitant about seeing the movie. A few years ago, I read Wells’ The Time Machine. Another novel of his I’ve enjoyed. Then I saw the movie. Essentially, I waited half the movie for it to be more like the book. Then I spent the rest of the movie hating how they massacred it. The Time Machine was a bad movie, nothing like the book. It was so unlike the book, it should have had a different title. That’s what I was worried about, that War Of The Worlds would be utterly horrible.'

Then Tom Cruise apologized. What began as a few comments on War Of The Worlds changed. When he criticized Brooke Shields and with all the media coverage of him and Katie Holmes, it was just too much. It was also the reason I didn’t go see Mission: Impossible 3. Now I’ve seen both and was entertained. (M: I 3 was a good action movie, full of stunts and explosions. War Of The Worlds wasn’t quite like the book. It was “modernized” and given a definite cinematic flare. Spielberg’s stamp was deeply imprinted. That’s why I should have seen the movie sooner. I saw them before the apology. I had a copy of War Of The Worlds my brother-in-law gave us. My interest in seeing how like the book it was returned. So we watched it. Mission: Impossible 3 was the in flight movie on our way to Mexico.) Brooke Shields seemed impressed or at least pleasantly surprised by Tom Cruise’s apology. From the clip of her interview on Leno, anyway. I think she definitely deserved an apology. Postpartum depression is a serious issue that women have not talked about in the past and they should. I am glad she spoke out.

I just wonder how contrived this apology was. It was certainly timed well, with the release of his interview with Vanity Fair. Did he do that on purpose? Probably. Should we hold that against him? Probably not. Not if he is actually sorry for his comments. However, my other concern is that he did it just to get some good press. From what I understand, M: I 3 and War Of The Worlds didn’t do as well as hoped at the box office. I’ve seen them and liked them. I would have at least gone to see War Of The Worlds in the theatre if not for the over saturation in the media of Tom Cruise. With good press, maybe more people will go see his films.

Of course, there was all that crazy crap in the tabloids about his daughter being disfigured. I’ve seen the pictures. Suri is a beautiful child. What a horrible thing to say? I can completely sympathize with Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes with that.

Mostly, however, this is the cynic in my speaking. The doubter. What were his true motives? He only knows. Brooke Shields seems to be happy with the apology. I suppose that’s good enough. I think I’ll give the next Tom Cruise movie a fair chance. I might even pick up a copy of Vanity Fair.

Hansen Photography

Check out this Photo Blog by a fabulous young man I know. Kevin takes some of the most gorgeous pictures!!

Hansen photography

Art Made With Love

I had to post this picture. It is at my parent’s house the day after the wedding. We’re with our parents, some of our wedding party (the least hungover ones) and a few close relatives. We decided it would be nice to open our presents with some of the people closest to us. (There wasn’t anyone there that we had to fake liking a present to.) It was actually a nice morning/early afternoon. My parents served brunch. We thought it would be a nice way to wind the weekend down and get to talk about everything that happened from the rehearsal to the after party our wedding party apparently had!

I digress. I wanted to talk about this photo. In it, I am holding up a wonderful, handmade card. Created by my talented cousin, Suzanne. It is clear that she took a lot of time in making the card. She drew and coloured all the flowers. (There are some more lovely flowers on the front of the card, but you can’t see them in this photo.) She cut out each of the letters. It’s definitely a mixed media kind of piece. So much care went into the making of the card, you can easily tell. I thought it was so sweet and simply fabulous.

Reading The Distinguished Guest

On the last day of the Mexican Portion of the honeymoon, while waiting at Los Cabos International Airport, I dove back into fiction for grown-ups. I started reading The Distinguished Guest by Sue Miller. Honestly, I’d never heard of Sue Miller before. The reason this book is in my possession is because I received it as a birthday gift years ago. It sat on my shelf because I didn’t know who the author was and I wasn’t particularly interested by the description of the story. For some reason, perhaps just the length of time it sat untouched, I chose to bring it with us to Los Cabos.

Slowly, I’ve been inching through it. I forced myself through the first chapter and found myself needing to take a break. I seem to only be able to read a chapter (or less) at a time. It is actually a little irritating. I can usually power through a book. I have to tell myself to put it down. I need sleep, I have things I need to do. Only as I’ve passed page 65, is the story getting somewhat interesting. Perhaps it is just the new character that has been introduced.

The characters are bland so far. Miller tries to make them three dimensional by having them go back to memories of their past. These ‘memories’ are just as flat as the characters are in the present. The physical appearance of the characters are described in detail, but they don’t have that feeling of being real. Maybe there are too many? Maybe it’s that most of the characters are much older than myself (though I’ve never had that be a problem before)? I just haven’t connected with anything or anyone yet. Hopefully the new character helps improve the story.

The ABC Murders

To break up the youthful fiction I seemed to have immersed myself in recently, I decided to read an Agatha Christie mystery. I wanted something a little more adult on the honeymoon… not that we did a whole lot of reading…

Last fall, I read my first Agatha Christie book, Murder On The Orient Express, which I just loved. I thought Hercule Poirot was simply fabulous. He seemed to be such an unassuming man that saw so much. It was true of his investigative role in The ABC Murders as well. His technique was unlike that of the other investigators.

I think The ABC Murders tricks you. It leads the reader to believe one thing, but something completely different is true. Of course, each character plays an important role in the mystery. Otherwise, I doubt Christie would include them. But there is a definite deception being played upon the reader. By the end of the novel, when the answers come to light, it caused me to yell out loud!

If you haven’t read something by Agatha Christie, you should. She was one of the most famed writers of her time. Everyone knows (or should know) who she is, especially if you’re an avid reader. I thoroughly enjoyed the novels I’ve read so far. The problem is, you can’t talk about a particular novel too much with someone who hasn’t read it. Otherwise you end up giving something away. Just remember, watch out for the twist at the end.

The Way Forward Is With A Broken Heart (2)

I finished reading Alice Walker’s short story collection waiting in Pearson Airport for our plane to Mexico. I have to say, each story I read in the second half of the book involved one or both of the main characters having an affair. Walker admits that parts of these stories are true. They pertain to the life she had with ‘the husband of her youth.’ Apparently, there was quite a bit of extramarital sex while she was with her husband, on both their parts.

Having just been married myself, I’m not sure how I feel about these stories. They were well written. They were easy to read. Besides the story I mentioned in a previous post, Olive Oil, I don’t know if I really enjoyed any of these stories. I was constantly thinking, how could s/he do that? The repeated affairs just seemed crazy. It was, perhaps, a symptom of a failing marriage. Yet they stayed together for a long time.

It was a good collection. If you like Alice Walker, definitely read it. Just don’t expect the stories to end with the heroine and her hero walking off into the sunset.

A Series of Unfortunate Events: Books 8-12

The Hostile Hospital
The Carnivorous Carnival
The Slippery Slope
The Grim Grotto
The Penultimate Peril

As I said, the honeymoon is over… While on this ultimate vacation, I read the final five books by Lemony Snicket. They were just as fun as the previous seven. They were the perfect poolside read. Unfortunate Events just kept happening to the Baudelaires. Mystery after mystery pilled upon themselves.

The Hostile Hospital certainly showed the resilience of the Baudelaire children. By the time they reach Heimlich Hospital, the three children are all alone. They are cold and starving. You feel sad for Violet, Klaus and Sunny. They’ve come so far and still have so far to go.

Sitting cold and alone, you see how resilient these children are. They discover what they need and begin their search for it. It is the first time you really see these children, who clearly age and mature, endure a moral dilemma. By the end of the book, the Baudelaires doubt their actions. Again, the story is full of adults who are just unable to help them.

The downward spiral continues with The Carnivorous Carnival. The Baudelaire children have their first experience with disguises. Throughout the stories, the children can’t believe that the adults were fooled by Count Olaf’s disguises. They don’t believe their own disguises will work, even with what happened at the hospital. They try anyway and discover that no one recognizes them. Somehow it speaks about how unobservant adults can be and how children notice everything.

The Carnivorous Carnival ends sadly. Near the end of the story, the children make a discovery. They feel so close to getting the answers that they’ve desperately been seeking. They find an adult, who appears villainous, but they believe that she can be noble again. They are so close to the truth. Again, the adult in their lives fail them. For this betrayal, they meet a wicked end. But the children do something wicked too. Something they thought they would never do. Did they have to? Violet and Klaus believe so, but doubt lingers.

In The Slippery Slope the children find themselves separated. They have never been apart before. It is very disconcerting for them. Since that first frightful day on Briny Beach, the children have not been apart for more than a few hours (while in some horrid school or performing some ghastly job). There is only one thing they can do. The children work to bring themselves together again.

The implausibility of the stories continues. The tasks Sunny performs defy reason. There is no way a baby or even a toddler could do the things she does… Well, maybe… But an adult would never ask for these things, even villainous adults. The situations are so incredible, it’s silly.

Watch out for a little warming of the heart from the eldest Baudelaire on this icy mountaintop…

In book the 11th, The Grim Grotto, the children mature even more. It is Klaus’s turn to meet someone who touches his heart. The children end up drifting away from what they thought would be the source of their answers. Now, they don’t know where they are going. Where they end up lands them with more questions.

Again, we find another adult who refuses to tell the children what they need to know. If only someone would stop all this madness and tell the children the truth about their parents, the past, present and future, then they might actually be all right. Instead, these things are pushed aside because they are too young to hear such things.

Violet, Klaus and Sunny find themselves betrayed yet again. Someone they trusted turns out villainous. This heinous act of betrayal nearly kills one of the children. Even when redemption presents itself, the children are again failed by the people they look too. By the end of the story, the children make a decision and no one is sure if it was the right one.

The Penultimate Peril leaves you wanting to continue on with the Baudelaires. No matter how angry you might be with them. Once more, you not only question the actions of the adults, but also of the children. The Baudelaires are told by yet another mysterious figure (clearly tied to Lemony Snicket) to trust their own judgment. Can they really? They stare repeatedly into the faces of Frank and Earnest and can’t figure out who is the villain or volunteer.

Adults try. Yet we see that trying is not enough. The adults fail them. Mr. Poe fails them. J. S. fails them. They have no one to turn to. No one to trust. Villains are everywhere. They do the only thing they think they can do. They try to save themselves. We may not agree with their actions, but it is clear what led them to the end of The Penultimate Peril

I really can’t wait for Book The 13th. The Baudelaires may or may not have a happy ending. We have to wait until October the 13th to find out.

The Honeymoon Is Over

Tomorrow I return to work. I don’t want to, but I have to. I have really enjoyed this time off. I loved spending these two weeks with my Hubby. It could be just us for months and I would be happy. Our time together was so relaxing. I’m just so happy.

All good things come to an end, as they say… But who says that really? I’m going to remember this feeling forever. All I have to do is think back to the day we were married. The sun shone down on us. We were surrounded by our family and friends. Our reception was one wicked party, if I do say so myself. In those memories my feelings will continue. With the future, a new home down the road, children, my feelings will grow. My life with my Hubby has only just begun and I can’t wait to find out what happens next.

Mandi's Photos

This is my friend Mandi's Windows Live Space. She has a ton of photos up, including a few from my wedding.

Photos

The Dress Situation

It’s all under control. Dawn has her dress, though it took an entire day of harassing the bridal store to get it. I have my dress!!! Yay!!! The girls are slowly, but surely picking their dresses up from getting the alterations. Everything is going to be just fine… Well, no one will be naked, at least.

Dress Issues

Will I get in trouble if I use real names? Oh well, we’ll see…

It’s five days to my wedding. Five! I thought all the big stuff was done. On Sunday, I had lunch with my beautiful bridesmaids. Then Lia, on of these lovely ladies, took me to the Elwood Spa and I had a very fabulous pedicure. In general, I had a relaxing weekend and looked forward to a relatively cal week. But, no!

I’m having dress issues. My last bridesmaid’s dress has not arrived yet. I ordered it late, after the four other girls, because of complications with this bridesmaid living overseas. But that doesn’t matter. I asked the bridal store if there would be any problems. They said, no. It’ll arrive at the end of July. Well, it’s the end of July. Where’s the dress? I couldn’t deal with it anymore, so I had Pam (my MoH) calling for me last week and over the weekend. Not what Dawn is in town (the overseas BM) I have her calling too. After that woman brushed me off the phone, I knew that I’d flip out if the next answer I got was the wrong one. So, Dawn will get her dress (fingers crossed) and I will never have to deal with Tiffany’s Bridal again.

Wait. I have more.

I and three of the bridesmaids, at the recommendation of the bridal store, went to a woman named Minda who operates out of her home. They “highly” recommended her. so I, not knowing any better, went with their recommendation. We dropped off our dresses on the 13th of July and still don’t have them back yet (1pm on July 31st). When I got a hold of her on Thursday, she told me they wouldn’t be ready until Monday (today). I told her that I had asked for the 28th or 29th at the latest. She said, no, Monday. I didn’t know what to do, so I called Pam. She call her and got the woman to agree to Sunday. Pam tried to call her again over the weekend, but she didn’t answer. She had no answering machine!! So on Sunday, before our delightful lunch, Pam called again and sat on the phone and let it ring. She let it keep ringing until finally Minda picked up. Of course she said the dresses were NOT ready. Why? Because something came up. The b*$@^ got her way and I don’t get my wedding dress until five days before my wedding!!

Everything will be fine. That’s what I have to tell myself. Everything will be fine…