The best way I've found to start your day is to go to the dentist at 7:00am for a routine cleaning. Then stay a bit longer for the fun of a half numb mouth/tongue and a filling.
It's cause for a great day...
April 27, 2006
April 15, 2006
Book Review: Ultra Marathon Man: confessions of an all night runner
Another good book that we read recently was Ultra Marathon Man. This is the story of Dean Karnazes, who is a runner. He runs every day, but not like a 5-10 mile run, but 26 miles to the race, then another 50 for the race itself. He's run across Death Valley, run a 200 mile 12-man team race solo, competed in the Western States 100-Mile Endurance Run, and run a marathon across the south pole.
Seriously crazy, but very interesting and almost inspiring.
Highly recommended reading.
Seriously crazy, but very interesting and almost inspiring.
Highly recommended reading.
April 14, 2006
Enrique's Journey: book review
I wandered around the library looking for some good books. I actually found quite a few on the "new" shelf. I now have a great list of books to read now...
One that piqued my interest was Enrique's Journey.
It is the true story of Enrique, who at five years old has his mother, Lourdes, leave he and his sister with relatives in Honduras so she can travel to the US to make more money to send home so he and his sister can eat. Enrique desperately misses his mother, and becomes lonely and sad. He floats from family member to family member, begs his mother to come back, drops out of school, and finally decides that if his mom is not coming back to him, he will go to her. At age 16 Enrique heads off to the US - illegally riding the top of freight trains with dozens of others (mostly children also). Throughout his trip he has to run/hide from the police who send him home, gangsters who fight the migrants, and bandits who rob and rape migrants.
This story originally was a shorter piece that ran in the Los Angeles Times Newspaper, but then evolved into this book. The author, Sonia Nazario, herself traveled the trains that Enrique rode, visited his homes in Honduras, and spoke with many people that Enrique came across in his travels.
This book is really enlightening to how horrible life is for so many others, and gives insight into things that we never realize are going on as we go about our lives.
I highly recommend this book.
One that piqued my interest was Enrique's Journey.
It is the true story of Enrique, who at five years old has his mother, Lourdes, leave he and his sister with relatives in Honduras so she can travel to the US to make more money to send home so he and his sister can eat. Enrique desperately misses his mother, and becomes lonely and sad. He floats from family member to family member, begs his mother to come back, drops out of school, and finally decides that if his mom is not coming back to him, he will go to her. At age 16 Enrique heads off to the US - illegally riding the top of freight trains with dozens of others (mostly children also). Throughout his trip he has to run/hide from the police who send him home, gangsters who fight the migrants, and bandits who rob and rape migrants.
This story originally was a shorter piece that ran in the Los Angeles Times Newspaper, but then evolved into this book. The author, Sonia Nazario, herself traveled the trains that Enrique rode, visited his homes in Honduras, and spoke with many people that Enrique came across in his travels.
This book is really enlightening to how horrible life is for so many others, and gives insight into things that we never realize are going on as we go about our lives.
I highly recommend this book.
April 2, 2006
Book review: My Sister's Keeper
I'm always looking for a good book to read. One that keeps me up late wanting to find out what happens, one that makes me come home and want to go straight to reading, and one that makes me think. For awhile now, I'd heard about the book My Sister's Keeper, by Jodi Picoult. I'd read a few good reviews, and the subject matter of the book intrigued me. So I got it from the local library, and had a couple days of reading a very good book.
It's the amazing story of the Fitzgerald family. Kate has had leukemia since she was 2, and Anna was conceived as a bone marrow match for Kate. Since birth Anna has been used to keep her sister alive, but now she's being told it's time to give a kidney to (hopefully) keep Kate alive. With the prospect of invasive surgery that will take a major organ, she decides that she must do something - so she hires a lawyer to help sue her parents so she can have medical control over her own body.
The story is told from many people's viewpoint - parents Brian & Sara, brother Jessie, Anna, the lawyer, and the court appointed person to evaluate Anna and her stability to make such a decision. (Each character even has their own font throughout the book - kind of cool)
This book examines the struggle to find love and acceptance within your own family, the morality of using one person's life in hopes of bettering another's, and the struggle to find yourself and your own voice.
Great story, with a surprising finish.
It's the amazing story of the Fitzgerald family. Kate has had leukemia since she was 2, and Anna was conceived as a bone marrow match for Kate. Since birth Anna has been used to keep her sister alive, but now she's being told it's time to give a kidney to (hopefully) keep Kate alive. With the prospect of invasive surgery that will take a major organ, she decides that she must do something - so she hires a lawyer to help sue her parents so she can have medical control over her own body.
The story is told from many people's viewpoint - parents Brian & Sara, brother Jessie, Anna, the lawyer, and the court appointed person to evaluate Anna and her stability to make such a decision. (Each character even has their own font throughout the book - kind of cool)
This book examines the struggle to find love and acceptance within your own family, the morality of using one person's life in hopes of bettering another's, and the struggle to find yourself and your own voice.
Great story, with a surprising finish.
White Enchiladas
This recipe I got from my 5-6th grade teacher, Mrs. Freese.
White Enchiladas
1/2 pint sour cream
1/4 c milk
1/2 c diced onions, sauteed
2 c grated cheese (monteray jack preferable)
1 can sliced olives
1 can mushroom soup
1 small can diced green chilies
1 package tortillas
*corn, diced Fri Chik, chicken, or green onions can be added if desired
Mix all ingredients (minus tortillas) together. Layer tortillas and filling. Bake 40 minutes, 350 degrees.
White Enchiladas
1/2 pint sour cream
1/4 c milk
1/2 c diced onions, sauteed
2 c grated cheese (monteray jack preferable)
1 can sliced olives
1 can mushroom soup
1 small can diced green chilies
1 package tortillas
*corn, diced Fri Chik, chicken, or green onions can be added if desired
Mix all ingredients (minus tortillas) together. Layer tortillas and filling. Bake 40 minutes, 350 degrees.