Thursday, March 11, 2010

March 11, 2010

Alarm rings at 9 am so that I can get to the dentist by 11:30 for a final fitting. I will have full dentures on my lower jaw.
Sun is shining.
Diane Reams, NPR, is discussing American education. Boy!!! do I have opinions.

Visit to dentist was short and sweet. Came home and took a nap. Driving takes so much time and the traffic has been horrible lately.

The dog park had been sprinkled with coarse ground corn meal. LC was busy cleaning it up for them. At Pup's house both dogs and Pup eat bird seed.
LC was busy harassing dogs on the big dog side as well as chasing school buses. The other side of the park harbors soft ball fields.

Blitzkrieg's Tale
I just wandered around smelling the perimeter. Rain leaves new smells.

Lady Chica's Tale
The park guys sprinkled corn meal all over the place. I mostly chased those big yellow monsters that drive around. I also stirred up trouble with the big busters

I took a nap and woke up planning to watch MI 5. PBS is having a pledge drive. I wonder what audience they are targeting tonight with music from the thirties. Those seniors are pretty old.

BOOK REVIEW
Stephen White, *Privileged Information* (1991)
First of Alan Gregory series. Alan is a psychologist practicing therapy in Boulder, CO. white is also a practicing psycotherapist. In this novel, Alan begins courting Lauren whom he marries in later books. A woman patient kills herself, and the police think Alan had been having a sexual affair with her, forbidden to therapists.
Alan's dog is killed, and that upsets me more than the murder.

Hugs, Dr. Liz

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

March 10, 2010

Yes, Paulette, *Bone Collector* was a movie starring Denzel Washington.

up at 9:45 am. Takes forever to boot up my computer. No reading today until I do some work.
I am piecing quilt blocks. I keep finding beginnings of projects. I have five or six lap quilts underway. All are improvisational log cabins. See black and red for design. Log cabins are strips sewn in such a way that block is half dark and half light.
I have a pile of blocks. I pin a strip on each block. Then I sew the pile one by one. Then I press. Then I sew another strip.
Meanwhile I have some caftan shirts cut out.
Most of my quilter friends have projects like this. Last year people gave me boxes of scraps.

One of my neighbors believes that an evil spirit inhabits her apartment. She hears noises in the ceiling.

My neighbor, Helen, is back in the hospital. We dont know why.

Well, then we harnessed up and drove to Martha's where leftover food was waiting. Apparently Jeff cooks a whole recipe of soup and so much is left over. It is always delish. Then I found my way across Arlington to Pup's. I remember how to drive from east to west, but driving west to east is so confusing.
We are working on the green and yellow batik.

Blitkrieg's Tale
Lady Chica's Tale
What happens at Pup's stays at Pup's.

BOOK REVIEW
John Sandford, *The Fool's Run* (1989)
This was first published under the author's real name, John Camp. Camp had written another novel (the first Prey) and his publisher demanded a pseudonym. Hence John Sandford was born.
This novel stars Kidd. Obviously Lucas Davenport beat out Kidd, who does have cameo roles in the Prey series.
Kidd is an artist by day, supporting his habit (art supplies) by doing computer stuff by night. The computer stuff is awfully dated. They dont yet have email. I guess Camp was ahead of the times in having his hero a computer nerd.
In this novel, Kidd is hired by one company to ruin another company.

Hugs, Dr. Liz

Monday, March 8, 2010

March 8, 2010

Woke up from a dream where I was writing a mystery. I did a beautiful job of describing the detective, but I couldn't figure out who murdered whom.

Listening to Diane Reams with a topic of "early release from prison" with guests pro and con. So ironic after last night I was reading *Newjack* about Sing Sing. My take on the subject is that they need more sociology. Crime rates vary with age of population. Has little to do with judicial system. Crime rates are going down bc population is aging.
Argument will be enjoyed.

10:18 AM Off to Wendy's. Need to buy stamps, make a library run. Rainy day. Thunder storms.

Judy and I are regulars at Wendy's. As we tottered up to the service window, Judy's iced tea was on the tray and the girl was asking me, "Vanilla or chocolate?"
Judy was talking about all the weird things she had seen on the news.
I responded about backlash from culture change. The change has mostly taken place and the back lash people are desparate.

Made a library run. Our branch post office is open from 10 to 12:30 and 2:30 to 4. So I have just ordered stamps online. I am in deparate need of a nap. Gloomy and raining.

After my nap we went to the dog park. Just as we arrived the sun came out --- just for us. No other cars, no other dogs. We were visited briefly by a little white dog. Several vehicles with big dogs drove by but didn't stop. Big dog area was almost totally covered with water. Lots of ponds in the little dog park. The dogs seemed to enjoy themselves.

Blitzkrieg's Tale
I had a good time moseying around the park, smelling all the new smells. Rain brings out new smells. Mom mostly sat and read a book.

Lady Chica's tale
I was reduced to chasing birds and there weren't even very many of them. I stood around waiting for cars to park but there weren't more than three or four. It was a nice day. The su came out.

Have not finished a book. Will spend the evening reading.


Hugs, Dr. Liz

Sunday, March 7, 2010

March 7, 2010

The play we saw Friday night was *Dead Man Walking*. It was well done, well acted. UTA theatre dept is super.
It was not what I expected. It was an ongoing dialog pro and con about capital punishment. I especially liked that they used quotes from the Bible to support each argument.

Sunday morning. I must be feeling good bc I did not agonize putting on jeans. Drizzling this morning. Gloomy.

We took a brief walk and dogs got all wet. I have my slicker. Dog park at 3. I look at weather prediction when showers are pausing.

4 PM woke from a nap. Where has this day gone? We are going to dog park. At 4 the gates close and I cannot walk out. So we may as well go to the park.

We only spent about twenty minutes at the park. The park was one big puddle and even the dogs did not like it. Chance was there but Lady Chica would not run. I even ran a little to encourage her. It kept sprinkling on and off.

Blitzkrieg's Tale
I dont know why Mom had to go to the park today. I was having a perfectly nice nap and she dragged us over to this pond.

Lady Chica's Tale
Chance was there but there was this big puddle next to the fence. Chance was all muddy. I just did not feel like running.

6 PM. Making bread pudding for supper. I am experimenting with baking in the micro wave.

BOOK REVIEW
T. Jefferson Parker, *Iron River* (2010)
Iron River is not in northern Minnesota. Rather it is the name given to the guns crossing the border from USA to Mexico. Charlie Hood is a sheriff's deputy loaned to ATF.
I dont know why I am reading this book. Half the space is taken up by descriptions of guns. Charlie spends his time going from gun shop to gun shop, making ATF inspections.
The other half of th spae is taken up by shooting people. This is a war, ATF versus cartels.






Hugs, Dr. Liz

Friday, March 5, 2010

March 5, 2010

I woke at 11:30. Decided to go to dog park. Beautiful day. We stayed until Blitzen almost got into it with a pit bull. Pit bull was unfixed and blitzen was doing his thing, but the pit bull turned on him.

Blitzkrieg's Tale
None of the big ol busters would run. Then a pit bull came over on this side, and I decided to socialize him, but he was having none of it. Then Mom went home.

Lady Chica's Tale
The park was sooo booooring. boooring. No cars moving. None of the big busters came near the fence. Tiger was there; I saw her. But she didn't come near the fence.

Didn't need a nap today. Tonight I am going with Lea and John to Studio Theatre at UTA. Dont know what play we will be seeing. John has season tickets. Signing off.

I am reading Stephen White's *Seige* because I saw a great review of it. I have been reading White for 20 years. His series protagonist, Alan Gregory, has a cameo row in this book. I can hardly put this down.

BOOK REVIEW
Peter de Jonge, *Shadows Still Remain* (2009)
Police procedural but not a serial killer. Introducing Darlene OHara, NYPD. OHara is investigating the disappearance of a young woman. Then the woman's body is found. Homicide takes over but she continues to investigate on her own. Rather a cook book novel. Author has co-authored with James Patterson.

Hugs, Dr. Liz

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

March 2, 2010

A bone --- an empty yogurt carton --- what's in my bed? The dogs like to lie on the bed chewing and meditating. Chewing releases endorphins.
Off to the Baptist Center.

By 10 AM we have had 7 units. One child was screaming. I have been busy steadily. Some families, some men from bunk house.
11:30 Food Pantry is closing. 13 units

Came home and took a nap. Bill Moyers is retiring. George S is taking over the Today show. Where in the world is Matt Lauer?

Spring is here. The turtles are migrating. In Gateway park they waddle from the River across the road to who knows where.
Pleasant and sunny in the park. Lots of small dogs.

Blitzkrieg's Tale
Mostly I wandered around the edges, smelling things. After a rain there are always new smells.

Lady Chica's Tale
I scared one of those big busters right through the fence. I looked at him and he ran off with his tale between his legs. Chance was there and we did some runnning.

Walked the perimeter of small dog park.


Hugs, Dr. Liz