Like, Annoying

I've noticed an annoying trend with the kiddos. That is, the abundant interjection of the word, "like" in all of their conversations. I probably wouldn't have picked up on it, but Isaac in particular is a big "like" user.

When excitedly explaining something, he might include 4 or 5 "likes" right in a row, in machine-gun-like staccato.

Then, around 3am the other morning Ethan started talking in his sleep. All he said was "like" about ten times. (I was listening eagerly for him to come to a point, but he never did.)

It makes me wonder where they could have possibly picked up this little habit. It must be TV, because there is like no way it was from me.

Can't Stay Silent

I'm disappointed that my Good Reads account is on the fritz. I've contacted Good Reads' support and they've let me know that while my problem is uncommon, it's not the first they've heard of it. They are investigating the issue and I can only hope, trying to come up with a fix.

Until that time, my list of "read" books grows. For the most part, I'm being patient, but after reading "Silent in the Grave" and the sequel "Silent in the Sanctuary," by Deanna Raybourn, my patience is up.

I enjoyed these Lady Julia Grey mysteries so much that I can't wait for the 3rd "Silent on the Moor," to come out in March 2009. So naturally, I have to blog about it.

Set in late 1800's London, the book opens thusly:

To say that I met Nicholas Brisbane over my husband’s dead body is not entirely accurate. Edward, it should be noted, was still twitching upon the floor.

I stared at him, not quite taking in the fact that he had just collapsed at my feet. He lay, curled like a question mark, his evening suit ink-black against the white marble of the floor. He was writhing, his fingers knotted.

I leaned as close to him as my corset would permit.

“Edward, we have guests. Do get up. If this is some sort of silly prank—”

“He is not jesting, my lady. He is convulsing.”

With her eccentric and large family standing by for support, Lady Julia goes through her year of mourning and eventually comes to the realization that her husband did not die of a heart condition, but was instead murdered. She also learns that Nicholas Brisbane is an inquiry agent and had been hired by her husband to investigate threatening notes he had been receiving.

Lady Julia and Brisbane, a moody, enigmatic, Darcy-esqe character, embark on an investigation of the murder.

Julia has just the right mix of winsome naivete and utter disregard for societal conventions. She is funny and gutsy and makes mistakes.

Her relationship with Brisbane lingers right on the edge of propriety and passion through out most of the book.

To say that the cast of supporting characters is colorful is an understatement. From Julia's reformed prostitute maid and gypsy laundress to her brother who is secretly studying to become a physician through questionable practices and her morbid Aunt "The Ghoul" who seems to thrive on death, funerals and mourning, there is hardly a dull moment.

I am not an avid reader of mysteries, but was able to figure out "whodunit" before the book was done. Still, the circumstances and twists and turns fairly unpredictable and make the book a definite page turner.

If you miss reading until 3am and neglecting housework for a few days, "Silent in the Grave" and "Silent in the Sanctuary" will fill your need splendidly.

I, Mythbuster

Time for an embarrassing question...

Have you or someone you know ever gotten the "runs" from eating too many cherries?

Sorry if this is a little personal, but I'd really be interested in your feedback for my non-scientific study. Feel free to reply anonymously if you like.

See, here's the thing--I've never gotten the runs from eating too many cherries. I don't know anyone who has gotten the runs from eating too many cherries. I'm starting to believe that this frequent warning must have originated millions of years ago as a ploy by a cherry-loving cave person to get fellow cave-people go easy on the bowl of delicious prehistoric cherries so he or she could have the most. The myth then was perpetuated and is now taken as conventional wisdom.

In a similar vein is the often believed lie that carrots will improve your vision. (Here's where that story got it's legs...)

As a follow up question, if you have had an adverse digestive reaction to eating cherries, how many cherries was too much? Was it twenty cherries? Fifty? A pound?

If it's a pound or more of cherries that gave you the runs, don't you think we can blame the adverse affects not on cherries, but on simply over eating?

Think about it--if you ate a pound of celery, I'm sure there would be a few changes to your familiar digestive routine. Ingesting a pound of black jelly beans would also surely create a few bodily surprises (don't ask how I know this.)

I just want to clear cherries' good name and restore their dignity. So please help by leaving a comment...it's for research.

Because...

Because I love you all so much, and because it's August 13 and I'm tired of giving my kids the perfect summer and need to let them watch crazy amounts of TV so I can lose myself on the computer and in books, I give you this hilarious Twilight Movie Trailer Spoof.

You are welcome!

Speaking of Scams...

Yesterday I took the kids mini-golfing so they could use their free passes from the summer library reading program.

They all pocketed their allowance right before we left and even though I begged them not to throw it away on the dumb arcade games, their minds were already made up.

After our free game of mini-golf, the boys went to the arcade and bought tokens (3 for a $1...what a rip off!) and played until their money was gone.

Jonah spent two dollars on games and earned enough tickets for a prize. What prize did he select? Fake money.

My Fun Day

The phone has been ringing off the hook today. No, people are not calling to congratulate me on being published in Vancouver Family Magazine.

People are calling about the on-line application I filled out for health insurance, or the on-line application I filled out for auto financing, or the on-line application I filled out to get a bid on replacing all the windows in my home.

Unfortunately, I did not fill out a single on-line application.

The phone keeps ringing and ringing. I've probably taken 20 calls today and they don't show any sign of stopping. They are slowing down. I think the eager beavers call first thing in the morning. It's the slackers who wait until after lunch to follow up on their leads.

I've called my bank and the police. I have filed a report with the Internet Crime Complaint Center. What else should I do?

I know what e-mail address is being used and I also know the fake birth date and social security number they are claiming I have. There was one place that even had a fake height and weight, and I was not flattered!

I can't get any help from the "Do Not Call" list because these people are just responding to requests, supposedly from me. I don't know if this is a computer virus or if there is an evil little person who stays up all night filling out on-line applications just to annoy people. One of the on-line applications was submitted at 3am.

In the olden days the evil little person would have had 20 pizzas sent to my house. Or maybe a better analogy is that they'd have a pizza sent to my house every 30 minutes, all day long.

Anyway, I'm getting better and better at explaining my little predicament and cutting those poor sales people off before they can tell me all about the great loan I qualify for or all the features of the Lincoln MKX I was interested in.

So, I'm having a fun day.

Gorge-ous

Saturday we took a drive to the Columbia River Gorge to do a little sight seeing and a little hiking. Our first stop was a look-out spot called Women's Forum. I do not know why it is called Women's Forum, but it is evidently the best look-out spot in the whole Columbia River Gorge. I had to agree that it was pretty spectacular. Jonah brought his Ranger Rick binoculars and refused to let another single person look through them. I could only assume that they helped him get a closer view of Crown Point, way off in the distance.

If looking at Crown Point through free toy binoculars didn't get Jonah close enough, driving right up to Crown Point did.

For all you Twilight fans out there, Crown Point is very close to the View Point Inn where the "Prom" scene for the Twilight movie was filmed. (This link has a 6 minute video clip, and shows that they filmed at Multnomah Falls too!)

Crown Point had a lovely little gift shop as well as an upper observation deck (see all those people up on the 2nd level?). The kids had fun running around and giving me heart attacks by getting too close to the edge and it one case, sitting on it.

We stopped at another waterfall along the way for a picnic lunch, then it was on to Multnomah Falls, the most popular tourist attraction in Oregon. No kidding.

The trail leading up to the top of Multnomah Falls is 1 mile and rises 542 feet in elevation. It is paved and while most people are huffing and puffing by the time they reach the top, it's not uncommon to see people pushing strollers or walking in highly inappropriate shoes.

This picture (above) is of the boys BEFORE the hike up to the top of the falls. As you can see, they look thrilled at the very thought.

I was proud of Jonah for walking the whole way up with out hardly complaining at all. Isaac, on the other hand, had to be carried part of the way up and part of the way down!

Meanwhile, I was experiencing a minor freak out because while the trail was paved, it lacked a guard rail for most of the trail which was quite narrow in places. There was just room enough for a single file line hiking up and a single file line coming down. The drop off the side of the trail was steep and rocky in places and inspired all kinds of visions of tragedy, gore and even a mental preview of a somber report on the 5 o'clock news. At the top of the falls, there is a little observation platform which hovers out over the water as it falls 542 feet to the bottom. Jonah and Ethan were thoroughly inspired by the breathtaking view (not!) I was more concerned about getting them away from the edge!

Before we headed back down, Ethan and Jonah found this lovely little napping rock and both proclaimed they would never climb to the top of Multnomah Falls again.

As lovely and invigorating as the hike had been, I tended to agree with them when I saw an ambulance, paramedics and a rappelling rescue team pulled up in front of the gift shop on our way out.

Robert overheard that a young boy had fallen off the trail and was possibly injured. Word among the rescuers, however, was that people usually over reacted and once rescued, the fallen person generally not badly injured. I guess they were right because there was nothing about it on the 5 o'clock news.