Busybodies and Killjoys
Most times I’ll buy a book after having someone recommend it, or after reading a review. Maynard and Jennica, by Rudolph Delson, however, was one of the first books that was a total mystery to me when I came across it, yet I knew instantly that I had to go out and buy it. I actually threw on pants and ran (kay, walked briskly. the sidewalks were icy.) down to Chapters to look for it.
Here are some of the reasons I risked broken ankles.
1. I stumbled across Rudolph online mentioning that he loved Andrew Bird. Who also loves Andrew bird? Me. What’s not to love about warbles and whistling?
2. He delivers excellently goofy book readings - at Google headquarters (!). You can watch the reading of Maynard and Jennica, along with question and answers, online right…… here.
3. Not only does he give goofy lectures, he also poses for a good goofy picture.
4. He lived in Germany, earning a living selling personal letters to strangers.
5. Last, I think Rudolph perfectly sums up both the story and my feelings about the book in an interview from Powell’s Books:
“… at least in literature, the misanthrope and the romantic are opposites. In the misanthropic comedy, we laugh at the follies of a man who loathes the misery of the people he sees around him; in the romantic comedy, we laugh at the fancies of a woman who longs to be happy like the people she sees around her. Similarly, there are two things you can do with blackberries: plant them along your fence to keep the world out, or pick them from the roadside for pancakes.”
Well, if I can’t convince you, maybe New York’s literati can!
Filed under New York, Sarah | Comments (2)Easter - I like you, I really do!
One of the best tips I ever got from my Mum was to hide my dirty dishes in the oven when unexpected guests come over. Genius!
I Like You: Hospitality Under the Influence by Amy Sedaris has lots of little caramel nuggets of ideas, just like my Mum’s. It’s a big hunker of a book, filled with lots of recipe ideas and hosting ideas (like hiding marbles in your bathroom cabinet to trick nosy guests.) I wish Amy was the next door neighbor who would invite me over for fancy themed dinners and stop by with cupcakes and homemade lemonade on Sunday afternoons. In Montreal we had Mr. Piedlourds as a neighbour, and in Alberta most of our neighbours are strangers. Would you take cupcakes from a stranger?
Actually, I might. But they’d need to have a LOT of colourful icing.
If I can’t sway you to buy the book (for yourself, a friend… your grandmother), maybe Amy can. Here she is in her own deliciously wacky promotional video.
Amy talks about two things a lot in her book: cheese balls and her rabbit. Maybe you have some time this weekend to make a cheese ball for your family. You can follow along as she makes them on Martha Stewart right here. I wish I had both these things, except I am poor and can’t afford cheese at the moment, and Chris is allergic to every conceivable animal. So, in honour of Easter, let’s take a peak into the world of Amy’s Easter Bunny-ish cupcake store. If I lived nearby I would visit every single day.
However, since I do not live nearby I decided to celebrate Easter another way. I visited every single candy store in town, and bought something gooey from every stop.Wooo! There are pics from the Sugar World Tour right here (and to your right if you click that little Flickr image.)
Hope you all have a great Easter weekend eating hams, perogies, cakes and cookies with your Mums!
xo Sarah
Filed under Holidays, Home, Sarah | Comments (2)From the raw to the cooked.
The Omnivore’s Dilemma, Michael Pollan’s excellent explanation of industrial and organic food production is a must read for anyone concerned about what they eat. It’s more informative than preachy, and although it might not change your diet, it will make you more aware of what makes up the food that lines our supermarket shelves.There are a million tidbits I could quote from the book, many of which would scare or disgust the average consumer, but an example of a more reassuring practice is that of organic box salad makers requiring their employees to wear bright blue bandaids with metal filaments in them so that a metal detector can catch them if they fall off. Nobody wants a bandaid in their salad and it is reassuring to see that the salad makers have taken this to heart.
A favourite quote in The Omnivore’s Dilemma comes from French anthropologist Claude Levi-Strauss who describes the work of civilization as “…the process of transforming the raw into the cooked…” I have to admit that I loved that notion, a good book is nothing more than a well cooked idea.
Filed under Chris, Food, Non-fiction | Comments (5)Westward, Ho!
Chris and I are officially headed out to Banff! Well, as soon as we are on the plane and have passed the rigors of snowy tarmacs and bulging suitcase approval… then we will be in Banff! (I’m still a little nervous about the bulging suitcase phase…)
When my brother was in Australia I used to find it a delicious torment to know what the weather was like in Sydney. It was nice to know that someone might be on the beach while I was making bank drafts and trudging home through slush at night. If you have similar tendencies, you can check out the weather out west while we are away. The Weather Network (.com) has amazing live cameras that let you take a peak at cities, parks, and ski hills across the country.
This picture was of Banff Tuesday morning. It makes me think of the opening to an Indiana Jones movie. The view is of Sulfur Mountain, and a quick click here will let you pretend you are watching us in a movie. Also, there’s a link to Flickr, over to your right, that will have lots of pictures of our trip. It will be just like traveling with us.. minus the dorky jokes and constant breaks for snacks along the way. Although, I really think those are the best parts.
Filed under Sarah, Travel | Comment (0)Dusty nights
Chris and I are getting ready to move.. and doing a lot of (much needed) cleaning. I woke up today, did some packing, and decided to move some furniture in the bedroom. Not a very exciting Monday - until - I found 20 dollars hidden in a “little” pile of dust. Woooo!
And I realised suddenly: my Mum was wrong! Dust is fantastic! Artist Maria Adelaida Lopez makes cute little houses from vacuum cleaner lint that you can take a peak at here.
American artist Scott Wade hangs on to his dust and grime, too. He “paints” mini works of 
art in the dust that piles up on his car. Take a look-see.
Sure, Martha would not approve. If you’re still feeling guilty, she might have some good tips for your bedroom.
Now, I’m off to the store to spend that 20 dollars on candy and allergy pills.
Filed under Home, Sarah | Comments (2)JPod
“On the way home yesterday I stopped by Ricky’s Pancake Hut for a cheeseburger, fries and Coke. It’s not what I usually order, but for a short while I wanted to pretend I was living inside an Archie comic – don’t we all feel like that at some time or other?”
Now, this quote really doesn’t say anything about the story, themes, or plots… But it might be one of the passages I loved most in JPod, the latest book by Douglas Coupland. Then again, food, and pretending I’m in a movie while eating food, are two of my favourite things.
On the menu: wacky co-workers, a dull work environment made enjoyable with the help of Google-based games and office hijinks , murder and drugs. A perfect book for when you’ve hit a “I’d rather be doing anything than working” slump.
Filed under Sarah | Comment (0)Sharks…and a shortage of puns.
I don’t know if it’s just me, but I love short stories in the summer. Maybe it’s my lack of attention span when the weather is so lovely. When you’re inside you’re itching to be out. When you’re outside (maybe reading in the park) there are bikes, dogs, sword fights, and beachy boys to distract you. What’s a girl to do?
The Man Who Scared A Shark To Death and Other True Tales of Drunken Debauchery by Noel Boivin and Christopher Lombardo has flown into my radar today. This quick description sure does intrigue:
“Next time you find yourself hunched over the kitchen table, head in hands, giant thermos of coffee in front of you, throbbing with remorse, this would be the book to have nearby. In it are all kinds of people who are more stupid and ashamed than you.” (North Shore News, December 17, 2006)
It’s still summer - War and Peace can wait.
Filed under Sarah | Comment (0)