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Saturday, August 28, 2010

Up and At 'Em...3 A.M.


I'm thinking of turning my blog into one solely powered by my insomnia. Some of you out there are doing that arm cocking thing and saying, "YES!" The last time this happened I was captive in the tent from HELL high in the Rockies. Fortunately at home I can cuddle up to my computer and read through some of my favorite obscure (definition: those blogs not written by people I know) blogs. So I found out my blog friend in Australia handed in her church "resignation" letter to her bishop. Not good. Further on she inserted this amazing TR quote: "It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat."
Teddy Roosevelt—“The Man in the Arena” speech, 1910
From the ridiculous to the sublime...I'm going to have my students memorize it the first week of school!! And my amazing French chef living in Paris friend posted about sourdough bread AND some grand sounding chocolate bread. She also described "Hidden Kitchens" which Wikipedia describes as private at home restaurants. You take reservations for say 12, and then cook an amazing meal! Obviously this is an economic venture--not sure it would fly here in Brrrrrrrrrr Lake, but itsn't it a smashing idea??? Speaking of which, over at Idea Room she blew me away with a "Slime" recipe that I think will get me through the first day of school next Tuesday!! And then I checked in on Amy who was sailing the world last time I read her blog. Apparently she aborted that mission and was drowning her sorrows at being landbound in the Guggenheim (which incidentally looks remodeled now. Last time I stuck my head in there briefly it was a flurry of dust and construction). One of the bloggers I read professed her atheism a few months ago and has really gone downhill since. Her blog used to be full of great book suggestions and some charming pictures of her farmhouse in Kansas. Now it reeks of very angry people ragging on everyone who believes in God and accusing them/us of having brains of mush! Another favorite blogger was flaunting some new shoes with really funky high heels. At six feet, heels are a new adventure for her, and she was having fun with "Heel (not boot) Camp" exercises in her new shoes. She's clever. A year or so ago she took off on a cross country road trip to meet all her readers. I almost met her in Salt Lake. I reread a sad kid-in-hospital story by my favorite blogster/pediatrican. Busy night here at Insomnia Central. If only I didn't have to get up in less than an hour to go with Paco to the temple. Oh, yeah I read about someone's anorexia and their cat's bladder infection supposedly caused by grief at the death of a companion cat. Can't forget that. Raining. Hard. Lightning. Thunder. Dog in lap. He hates it so.

2 comments:

Laura said...

I love reading obscure blogs late at night. I wish you would have linked to those you read so I could take a peek myself. . .

Shelly said...

Speaking of venturing into the restaurant business, I forgot to tell you about this couple that was running the B&B that Dave took me to for our anniversary. It was a couple that traveled all over giving B&B owners their "vacation" time and this couple would run the place for them for a week or two. How fun would that be?! You greet the couples, make stuffed french toast in the morning and get to live in this great house, all the while traveling all over. They were such a nice couple and had many a story to tell. We talked to them for a bit in the kitchen.

Favorite books

  • Me 'n Steve
  • Thundering Sneakers
  • James Herriott's vet books
  • The Count of Monte Cristo
  • Travels with Charley
  • A Walk in the Woods
  • Peace Like a River
  • The Egg and I
  • Mary Poppins
  • Extremly Loud Incredibly Close
  • How Green Was my Valley