2 Down, 7 to Go

A couple of years ago, I was down with my family in Rhode Island and we were all sitting in the family room after dinner. All of a sudden, we heard a terrible screech, a hiss and then silence. We all rushed to the back porch to find some feathers and fur. Our cat, Carmen, was nowhere to be seen. The next day; however, she came home looking no worse for the wear.
On Thursday, poor Carmen was the victim of a hit and run. My parents brought her to the vet, who was fortunately able to save most of her. Her tail is now a memory. Carmen is a survivor though, and my mom said she's eating heartily and isn't letting a small detail like a missing tail slow her down.
As my parents were rushing to the vet on Thursday, my dad called to let them know they were on their way. After calling the main number, there was a prompt that said Press 1 if this is an emergency, if not please stay on the line. My dad punched 1 and explained to the receptionist that his cat had been hit by a car and he and my mom were rushing her in to see the vet. The receptionist told him that his reason for calling wasn't considered an emergency and that they need to keep the line open for real emergencies... If a cat getting hit by a car doesn't qualify as an emergency, I'd hate to see the poor animals that do have qualifying emergency injuries.
I wish Carmen a restful and speedy recovery!
Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

Lulu, little Lulu, With Freckles on Her Chin

When it comes to workout gear, I tend to look at the Macy's sales rack, Target, and Sierra Trading Post's Bargain Barn. I hate paying full price for workout clothing, except for footwear. Never skimp on running shoes or hiking boots; there, you've been warned. The problem is that I love to shop for workout clothing, and now that I've been attending yoga classes 3-4 times a week I have been exposed to a new wonderful world of colorful and comfortable athletic attire.

I had been admiring a certain high-end yoga inspired clothing line for awhile; however, I couldn't justify paying $90 for a pair of black stretchy pants. Then, a few weeks ago, I noticed that they were looking for part-time work, so I decided to apply. I figured between the store discount and other job perks (free classes) that it would be pretty great, as far as 2nd jobs go. I have worked at Dunkin Donuts, a bagel store, the HoneyBaked Ham Company store (for 1 day... that's another blog post), and about 20 English language schools, but never in retail, so I was mildly surprised when I received an email asking if I could come in for a group interview.

I had been wondering how many people would be in the interview, but there was just one other applicant; a woman in flowing scarves, beaded earrings & a canvas tote. At this point, having come dressed from my day job in a pencil skirt and blouse, I knew I was in trouble.

The store manager took us to a quiet part of the mall and explained that she had a list of questions she wanted to ask and that she hoped we would feel like we were simply getting to know each other. In the end, the more I got to know the other applicant, the more I wanted to strangle her with her thrifted scarf. The conversation went pretty much like this...

Manager (turning to me): So, how do you like to stay healthy?
Me: Well, try to walk as much as possible and not eat too much junk. Also, I exercise on a regular basis. Running, yoga, golf... that sort of thing.
2nd Applicant: Oh, well, my family owns an organic farm north of Boston and I spent a lot of time working on the land. It's a lot of sweat and hard work, but I love it! The farm, by the way, is also a CSA, which is just an incredible way to bring people together!

Manager (again, to me. Somehow, I went first every single time): We encourage our employees to set goals for themselves. Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
Me: Hmm, well, hopefully my family is healthy and happy. Possibly my husband and I will have a child or 2...
2nd Applicant: OK, so I am applying for a Fulbright and hope to eventually open a cultural center for disadvantaged Boston youth.
Me: Oh... a Fulbright! That's impressive!
2nd Applicant: How old are you?!
Me: Um, I'll be 30 in July.
2nd Applicant: Well, you're too old to apply for one... but it is an excellent opportunity to do some good in the world.

Manager: What was the last book you read?
Me: The 2nd Harry Potter book... I'm re-reading the series.
2nd Applicant: I just finished reading a book written by one of the first female Buddhist monks. It's incredibly fascinating.

Manager: We hope all of our employees are open to giving and receiving feedback. What was the last feedback you received?
At this point, I decided to go for broke.
Me: During yoga class today, while I was in Cobra, my teacher told me to relax my buttocks.
(beat)
2nd Applicant: Hmmm, well last night my boyfriend and I were talking... We try and have at least one meaningful conversation a night... And, anyway, he told me that he's noticed that most of my friendships are based on me reaching out to others in need and that he thinks I should have relationships where there's more equal give and take.

Mercifully, the "conversation" ended soon after that and I went home to re-examine my lifestyle, while applicant number 2 probably went to volunteer at a soup kitchen and then poop a bouquet of roses. Needless to say, I received an email the next day thanking me for my time, but that I wasn't quite the right fit for the job.

15 Books that Will Always Stick with this Librarian

Sometime last week, I read Rhea's post called, 15 Books that Will Always Stick with Me and decided that I wanted to give the exercise a whirl. It wasn't hard to think of 15 books that will stick with me; however, it was harder than I thought to add some explanation as to why they would. Sometimes, I have a specific memory associated with a book, and sometimes a book will just stick with me because it's just so good. I tried to elaborate where possible, but in some instances I have no other recommendations than to read the book. Below is the post's explanation that was posted on Rhea's original entry:

A friend gave me an assignment: List fifteen books you’ve read that will always stick with you. Write down the first 15 you can recall in no more than 15 minutes. So that’s what I did. If you care to join in, please feel free to link to this post and write about YOUR 15 books!

Interpreter of Maladies: Well-written short stories that draw you in completely. I think I read this in one sitting.

Les Miserables: In 9th grade, we read this abridged version and I've since re-read it several times. I'd like to say that I've graduated to the unabridged version; however, Hugo tends to take 15 pages to describe a doorknob... I cried when Jean Valjean died.

Love in the Time of Cholera: As a Spanish language and literature major, this was one of my favorites. Florentino Ariza is a true romantic that needs some heavy therapy.

100 Years of Solitude: This book is worth it for the last sentence alone. Also, I cried the entire last chapter.

The Shining: I read this book one summer while I was away at tennis camp. In retrospect, it's not a good idea for a 13 year old to read this book while alone in a poorly lit dorm room. I scared myself senseless.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix: Best HP book, in my opinion. JK Rowling is a fantastic story-teller. I'm re-reading the series for the third time now.

Caddie Woodlawn: My dad used to read this book to me at night, maybe a chapter at a time. The story is fun, and my dad is a gifted narrator. This book brings back nice memories.

Ox Cart Man: I used to love poring over the illustrations in this book. It actually won the Caldecott Medal.

The Finer Points of Sausage Dogs: The 1st chapter in this book is one of the funniest I have ever read. The protagonist, Professor Doctor Moritz-Maria von Igelfeld, is also one of my favorite literary characters.

Naked: I wish I could write like David Sedaris; however, my family would probably disown me if I tried.

The Lovely Bones: I actually did not like this book, but it will always stick with me because I had to stop reading it halfway through because I was sobbing so hard I became nervous.

The Purple Pussycat: My mom taught me to read using this book. I vividly remember sitting with her on our old green flowered coach and sounding out each word. I also remember that the word "something" used to trip me up each time. Like Caddie Woodlawn, this book also bring back good memories.

Summer of my German Soldier: One of my faves as a teen. I always looked for the sequel, but could never seem to find it in bookstores or the library. I'm still tempted to order a copy online.

1000 Splendid Suns: A great story, that was probably predictable to everyone but me. I loved the ending (and cried like a baby.)

The Berenstain Bears and Too Much TV: There's one line in this book that goes something like, "The Bear family used to have lively conversations at the dinner table, but not lately. Lately, they just sat around and chewed." To this day, we'll still say that line if there's a lull in the dinner conversation and it always gets a laugh.

Sweet Pickles series: My mom ordered me the Sweet Pickles series, and sometimes I'd peek out our front window in hopes of spotting the Sweet Pickles van dropping off the books. (Just like in the old commercial.)

Long Weekend Wrap Up

I hope everyone had a great holiday weekend! Nick and I headed down to Rhode Island Thursday evening and met up with my family and our friends at Pizza Place in Westerly. The pizza here is fantastic, but I think the best menu item is the Gorgonzola salad. On Friday morning, my mom, Carolyn, and I headed off to Heart of Avondale for an early morning yoga class, because we're on top of it like that. Then, after a quick lunch, we played 9 holes at a par 3 course. The winner of that outing was definitely Carolyn who played the "oh, I don't really play golf" card and then proceeded to kick our butts. :)

Saturday morning, Nick and I got up at 6:45 in order to make an 8:30 tee time at Beaver River in Richmond, RI. This course is well-maintained, economical & wins for cutest logo ever. July 4th is not only Independence Day, but also my dad's birthday! Nick, David & I got him a pair of shooting glasses from Cabela's.

Dad doing his best Bono impression

Here are some other scenes from the 4th

The Flying Horse Carousel in Watch Hill

I enjoy reading, Boston sports & long walks here

Nick & I checked out the local real estate- a little small for our taste

This cake was delicious & patriotic

While driving home from dinner Saturday night, we pulled over on the side of the road to watch the amazing fireworks display put on by the (use your fancy voice) Misquamicut Club. Despite the fact that we weren't inside the grounds hobnobbing with Muffy & Bunny, I doubt their view of the display was any better.

We reluctantly packed our bags and headed home around 9 last night. What a wonderful weekend!