eats n reads

I have been trying to plow through the pages of a number of books as of late, lest the denizens of Greensboro decide that they, too, would like to enjoy some of these books and decide to put a recall notice on my ass! Luckily, I was able to finish several (depicted here). God is JCO ever prolific. She must write 80 pages a day. The Gravedigger's Daughter is more of the same from JCO--gothic themes, complete with a full-page back cover featuring the author resplendent in crushed velvet and a dour expression. That's not to say that I wasn't engrossed in the story. In fact, I downright disagree with the Amazon reviewer who recommended that this 600+ page book be used for kindling.

Another book, another odd spate of Amazon reviews. Some folks got angrily political (one one-starred the book and went off on a diatribe about how it's all about China hatred), and some recommended that Ha Jin steer clear of writing in English. I like his somewhat spare yet uber-detailed style. Each chapter felt a little isolated from the remainder of the narrative from whence it sprung. I may have to revisit some of Ha Jin's older stuff.


I'm a couple pages away from being done with this. It's a quick read--I just started it yesterday, and I always, always like ethnographies. This one perhaps could've taken one more spin through the proofreader's net, but thematically it's pretty interesting. Incidentally, I think Amazon has spurred a new ilk of book reports: the .com review. The only review Amazon had for this tome began, "Being homeless is a problem and among the homeless are gay kids of which 25% have dropped out of school because of harassment." Well, yes. Homelessness is indeed a problem.


This weekend Brigid and Carin came down from Raleigh and Durham, respectively, so that ruled. We went to this new restaurant which Mercer and I agreed definitely ranks in our top several Mexican/Central American food experiences ever. I got fried plantains, fried cassava, fried yucca (sensing a trend here?), Horchata, empanada de leche, and several different varieties of pupusa. Aside from the fact that I obviously way overordered, it was all amazing. If anyone hits the Greensboro area, El Carbonero, yo. Brigid also concocted a labor-inducing exercise routine. It induced a nap more than it induced labor, and I feel rather like a sumo wrestler whenever I try anything remotely active these days, but I'll try it again!

The baby scoop is as follows: my alien fluids are abysmally low, so the obs are kind of recommending induction, but Mercer and I decided to try and wait it out and see, 'cause I don't want no Pitocin. In the meantime, I have been researching and trying all the redonkulous induction techniques out these, short of Castor oil, 'cause, as my friend Michelle says, old wives get a bad rap, but they often know what they're talking about.