In One Person

Source

This was a new acquisition at my library so I picked it up even though I thought it was by John Updike and not John Irving. I am not an Updike fan and am forever mistaking these two authors for each other. Anybody else do that? Just me? OK, then. For the record, Irving = Cider House Rules, A Prayer for Owen Meany and Updike = Rabbit series. To be fair, I've never read Updike's most famous works. To revisit at a later date.....


Good Reads' Synopsis: A compelling novel of desire, secrecy, and sexual identity, In One Person is a story of unfulfilled love—tormented, funny, and affecting—and an impassioned embrace of our sexual differences. Billy, the bisexual narrator and main character of In One Person, tells the tragicomic story (lasting more than half a century) of his life as a “sexual suspect,” a phrase first used by John Irving in 1978 in his landmark novel of “terminal cases,” The World According to Garp. His most political novel since The Cider House Rules and A Prayer for Owen Meany, John Irving’s In One Person is a poignant tribute to Billy’s friends and lovers—a theatrical cast of characters who defy category and convention. Not least, In One Person is an intimate and unforgettable portrait of the solitariness of a bisexual man who is dedicated to making himself “worthwhile.”(


What I Thought: That is not a very good synopsis so I'll offer a brief one of my own. In One Person begins in 1960's Vermont at a boys' boarding school where Billy lives (as a teen) with his family. He befriends the local librarian that everyone seems to warn him to stay away from and develops a love of reading and writing. What unfolds is a 50 year coming of age story filled with angst and love and everything in between.

I really, really enjoyed this one and was sad when it was over. That's how I know a book speaks to me, when I mourn the ending. I thought it was an interesting twist on your typical love story, which is to say this wasn't really a love story at all but it definitely played a role here. The character development was outstanding but since it's Irving, no surprise there. If you are easily offended by homosexual/bisexual/transsexual themes, this is probably not the book for you as it's central to the plot. But, if you are looking to learn a little more about that lifestyle through some good writing, then give this one a try!
Rating: * * * *

This Weekend

In addition to cleaning a house that hadn't seen a mop in a few weeks, we had some fun and productivity around these parts as well. Hard to believe it's halfway through July already. What is that about?

I made it to the liter sale at Ulta. All liters of shampoo and conditioner (salon brands) are $14.99. This is an incredible savings and a liter of shampoo lasts a LONG time. I think mine lasted all year. It goes through this weekend so get there while you can! I use AG Colour Savour because it's sulfate-free and amazing.

In other hair news, I FINALLY have enough length to pull off the sock bun. One step closer to becoming a ballerina. I wore my hair up for date night and felt fancy. Plus, when you shower after a run and immediately have to get ready to go out, you get sweaty right away. Not the ideal time to blow dry.

There was a recall on my CR-V and I've been putting off taking it in because I hate taking in my car for service, even if it's free. I had to make the appointment weeks in advance to get a Saturday. But, while there I learned that the place I typically take it for oil changes has been raking me over the coals. Pirates! Because I crossed this chore off my list, I celebrated with an Iced White Chocolate Peanut Butter Latte at Winan's, a local coffee shop. Do you like white chocolate? Do you like peanut butter? You NEED this in your life. I drank it before I could document with a photo. Je regrette. (The French is for Bastille Day!) We stopped going to Winan's every weekend when we bought our house because it's farther away and our favorite barista moved. The girl who made my drink on Saturday deserved a gold star. John dubbed his drink Michelle-worthy (that's the old barista). This new person earned her tip.

Later on we headed over to The Greene, one of our favorite destinations in Dayton.

We also saw this snappily dressed gentleman on his way to the comedy club. The Wayans brothers were in town. When I told John who was playing he talked at length about how great an In Living Color reunion would be but that Jim Carrey was too big now to ever do it. Someone is pining for the 90's.

I tried some delicious brews at The Pub. Bourbon Barrel Ale, Strongbow Cider, Belhaven Twisted Thistle and Young's Double Chocolate Stout. I've had them all before and they were just as delicious as I remembered. It was stuffy in the restaurant though. We should have asked for patio seating.

Speaking of patios........ours is supposed to go in this week! We opted to pay a professional instead of screwing it up ourselves. I know the money will be well worth it when I'm sipping a refreshing beverage out there, hopefully this weekend! Then we get to go shopping for a patio set. Yea hooray!

How was your weekend? Filled with fun, I hope!

Long Trail Brewing Co.

Should you find yourself in southern Vermont near Bridgewater Corners, I hope you will make the time to stop in at the Long Trail Brewing Co. Even if you are not a beer drinker, you can take in the lovely scenery on the outside deck overlooking the Ottaquechee River. Inside the brewery was quite noisy but outside was just serene. They have an extensive food menu and while we just had chips and salsa because we were between meals, I definitely noted several items I'd order.

Scenery!

And if you are a beer drinker, then you are in luck! For $6.50, you can sample 6 - 4 oz. pours of their 5 regular brews and the rotating seasonal. Because it was summertime, the seasonal was the Belgian White.

I really liked all their selections although the IPA was my least favorite. No surprise there. Cutest Name  Award goes to the Blackbeary Wheat. It had a nice, natural berry flavor to it. The Long Trail Ale was a good workhorse of a German Altbier. The Double Bag is one of the most popular and was also known in the past as their "secret brew" because they didn't mass produce it and only offered it to special friends on the sly. Luckily for everyone, they've now released it for all to consume. It's higher in ABV at 7.2% (that's Alcohol By Volume for the layman)

We bought a 12 pack to go (OK fine we bought 2 cases, one to drink in Vermont, one to share with family back home) which included no IPA (yea!) However, it did include the Pollenator, which is the other one I had wanted to try but they didn't have on tap. It's a crisp, spring ale that I knew I would like. They offer a Harvest Ale in the fall (best ever specialty beer season) but unfortunately, Long Trail seems to be distributed only up and down the eastern seaboard from Maine to Virginia only. Sad face.

I also bought my only non-edible souvenir of the whole trip here, a pint glass! I have lots of fancy beer glasses, pilsners, snifters, etc. But nary an old-fashioned pint glass of my own. Problem solved!

Here's something of note, this whole area of Vermont suffered devastating damage during Hurricane Irene in August 2011. The brewery was not immune.....



Source

Although we drove past lots of visible damage, the brewery was all cleaned up. No sign of a flood at all! Hoping the rest of the area can rebound as well.

So, if you're in Vermont, please stop on by. You won't be sorry! And if you can find Long Trail in a store near you, crack one open and enjoy.

We made another fun stop before the brewery but that's a story for another day.....



June Running Round-Up

Slightly belated but in the interest of accountability to myself and my faithful readers, here are how my miles played out in the bustling month of June.

Jun 2: 4 mi OT in 38:00, walk breaks second half
Jun 5: 4 mi TM in 33:33, 8:30/8:30/8:24/8:09-tightness but no real pain, fastest 4 Miler
Jun 9: 3.1 mi in 32:00, 5k race - pathetic
Jun 10: 6 mi TM in 55:33, 9:15 pace - tired
Jun 12: 2.3 mi TM in 20:00, not in a running mood
Jun 13: 1.7 mi TM in 15:00, quick interval
Jun 17: 7.5 mi TM in 68:??, 6 mi @ 9:00 pace, 1.5 slower
Jun 19: 4 mi TM in 36:57, 9:15ish pace, HILLS
Jun 23: 4 mi OT in 45:!!, lots of walking :(
Jun 24: 6.2 mi TM in 61:??, leg and shin pain
Jun 26: 3.1 mi TM in 29:49, hill intervals
Total: 45.9 miles

Even though I ran a terrible 5K, I'd like to focus your attention to June 17th's run. SEVEN and a HALF MILES! It took 2 whole episodes of Felicty on Netflix but I hit the longest distance I've ever run. This means, if I ever get up the gumption to run a half marathon, I already know what it feels like to run more than half a half. Does that make sense? I thought that was pretty cool.

And even though I didn't hit my 50 mile goal this month either, I have good news! I'm right on target to reach 500 miles by the end of the year since I've run 251 thus far in 2012. Something to hang my Brooks on.......

I Hate Everyone....Starting With Me

**Full trip report coming up when I have a little time. It deserves more than one day to pack in the recap of the fun!**

Source

In the meantime.....I read this book before vacation and didn't get around to reviewing it. Honestly, I have no idea why I borrowed this from the library. Sometimes I'll watch Fashion Police on E! and think Joan Rivers has some good one-liners. So, I suppose in the interest of broadening my literary horizons, I picked up I Hate Everyone....Starting With Me by Joan Rivers.

I probably should have known from the title that this wasn't going to be a very uplifting book. Still, I forged on. Luckily, it only took me a couple hour sessions to slog through this one. Rivers takes shots at one group after another, discussing why she hates them. She doesn't just focus on various ethnicities or races either. No one is safe. While there were some moments I found humorous, most of the book was just beating a dead horse. I can offer up just as much snark as the next girl but Joan is the Snark Queen and this book is chock full of her musings. Eventually, it got old. You can skip this one.

Rating: * 1/2

On the road again.....

I'm off to the great beyond this week. I hope you all have a safe and happy 4th of July filled with s'mores and fireworks. Promising tales of my adventures when I return. And likely LOTS of book reviews. 20 total hours in the car = many pages turned.

Try not to miss me too much!

Recipe Reblog #22

Asian and Italian this week, a culinary journey.

Hot and Cold Sesame Noodles: I love me some peanut sauce! If you've never had Thai food or something with peanut sauce, this is a good gateway meal. After perusing the recipes I had starred in a specific Rachael Ray cookbook, I made it for lunch last weekend. It came together very quickly in 20 minutes or less, half of which was water boiling time. In addition to the noodles and peanut sauce, it also has broccoli slaw and bean sprouts. Carbs, veggies and some protein make a well-rounded meal. The noodles were still warm the first day but I ate the leftovers cold and it was just as tasty. Give this one a shot!

Salad Capriccosa: Another Rachael Ray recipe from her 365: No Repeats cookbook! Like I said, I was digging out recipes from my books instead of trolling other blogs for new meals to cook. In an effort to branch out on our Tuesday night Salad Supper, I decided this salad looked pretty delicious. A bed of romaine cradles, cherry tomatoes, artichoke hearts, peas, bocconcini (mozzarella balls) and a quick homemade vinaigrette. I skipped the mushrooms as we are not fans. I also skipped the prosciutto because I didn't feel like buying it. Here's a tip on the artichoke hearts -- a can of them is $3.00, pretty pricey if you ask me. Instead, see if your store has artichoke hearts on their make your own salad bar (mine did!). I was able to get the amount I need for just under a buck.

This salad was so delicious! All of the classic Italian toppings came together perfectly for a light but filling salad. Please try this! It was very tasty and not much beats fresh, salty mozz if you can find it.