Firefly

When Firefly initially premiered, I found the concept uninteresting, even though it was a creation of Joss Whedon's (Bully the Vampire Slayer) brain. A space western? Seriously? I had odd images of Space Balls meets The Young Riders and that just wasn't a pleasant thought. Several years later as I discussed a mutual love of science fiction with a friend and she lent me the DVD collection. The show quickly entered rotation in my work-from-home Friday marathon life.

The odd concept really does work. Firefly is set in the distance future after Earth was used up and science allowed the formation of livable worlds on previously uninhabitable rocks in space. Asian culture and American Western features are mishmashed together to create an advanced yet primitive world.

If you're familiar with Whedon's work, you won't be surprised by the fast-paced snappy dialogue. Mandarin Chinese and English are entwined effortlessly - I can't even begin to imagine the amount of work the actors must have taken for it to feel that natural. He's also great to utilize familiar and unfamiliar actors, pulling in a core fan base from the beginning.

The show didn't even last a full season on Fox - many episodes didn't even air - but the original fans are still rabid with their love of the show. The episodes are beautifully shot and the characters have a depth that's rather remarkable considering the short run. Firefly ended with more questions than answers about the mysterious character of River Tam, but thanks to a myriad of mostly unbelievable circumstances a follow-up film (Serenity) was released and had a good run in theaters.

I'm glad I was convinced to check this one out.

The Dresden Files

The arrival of summer means a shortage of new television shows - which can be a good thing. I find its a great time to watch old series that I never gave a chance in its first go round. Having recently finished listening to Storm Front I thought I'd give the SyFy series The Dresden Files a shot.

It only ran for 12 episodes - never a good sign - but I was pleasantly surprised by the shows. When it initially aired I saw one episode, but by and large the ads didn't intrigue me enough to commit. The elements I'd found lacking in the novel were brought to life by the actors playing Dresden, Murphy, and Bob. The noir touches and Harry's first person narrative worked much better for me in the medium of television than they had in the novels.

The shows were intriguing enough to have me watching closely and I was even a bit sad when I realized the episodes were done. Maybe one of these days another developer will get a shot at serializing these novels, or even a movie deal. Hey, its happened before after all. Either way, this was definitely worth its addition to my Netflix instant streaming queue.

On to the next!

Wizard's First Rule

I'm now well and thoroughly hooked on Legend of the Seeker, to the point that it was time for me to give the books a go. This extremely popular series was first published in 1995, and at that time I picked up the first book. I didn't get too far into it before it began to sound like Robert Jordan's fabulous Wheel of Time series, and I couldn't bring myself to continue reading. Fifteen years later, with the Wheel of Time series nearing its end, I find myself looking for a new massive fantasy series to grab. This could very well be it.

Wizard's First Rule introduces readers to Richard Cypher, Kahlan Amnell, and Zeddicus Zu’l Zorander. Richard is raised with no idea of his destiny in a land without magic. Zeddicus Zu’l Zorander is a wizard that helped erect a barrier between three core lands and has lived in the Westlands, keeping an eye on Richard and not using his magic for many years. Kahlan Amnell crosses the barrier from the Midlands into the Westlands at great peril to herself in an effort to find the last great wizard to name a Seeker, who will then defeat the evil despot Darken Rahl.

Terry Goodkind creates an extremely believable world. The forests where we first meet Richard are teeming with life. Each society he comes across feels well developed and real. Perhaps the best part is that the central characters - the heroes if you will - are constantly second-guessing themselves and making serious errors. They are in no way perfect, but do the best with the information they have at hand. They question consequences but do not shy away from the reality that innocent people will be effected if they do the hard work of eliminating the enemy. This is a very adult story, with a frank portrayal of what happens during war and the consequences of actions. Some passages were difficult to read, but they gave a strong sense of why the characters made the decisions they did.

I was pleasantly surprised to see there were fewer similarities to the Wheel of Time than I'd initially thought. When we first meet Rand, Mat and Perrin in that series they are in their late teens - Richard Cypher is a man grown, living and working on his own. This makes for a completely different tone to The Sword of Truth series. Rather than watching young men grow up, we get to see adults take the knowledge of their lifetime and apply it to practical situations.

Having checked out the first book from my local library, I was pleasantly surprised to find a copy at Half-Price Books for just $1.50. I'll most certainly be adding this series to my personal library.

Buffy Rewatch: Season 1, Episodes 1-4

I still remember where I was when Buffy the Vampire Slayer premiered on the WB. It was a Monday evening (March 3, 1997 to be exact), and some friends and I were headed to Dallas for Spring Break at midnight. Rather than trying to sleep before the long drive, I opted to check out what would quickly become my obsession.

Seems like every year I do a rewatch of all seven seasons - and you, lucky reader, get to experience the love I still feel for this classic show. If you dare, ask one of the ladies that shared a home with me while the show aired. I was . . . involved . . . with each episode.

I realize not everyone understands why I love to go back and re-experience shows, so I'll attempt to explain. It's crazy fun for me to see where these characters started, now that I know where they ended. Angel seems to be the classic tall dark and handsome guy (you don't find out he's a vampire until disk 2). Xander makes his position on vampires quite clear in episode 2: "I'm going to go on the record and say vampires are bad" - and he absolutely never changes that over the course of 7 seasons. Buffy struggles to balance school, friends, work (slay-age) - isn't that where we'll all coming from? Cordelia's venom as the classic high school queen is miles away from where she ended years later. Willow is a computer geek who's crazy shy, and Giles lives for research and gets excited about the evil possibilities the Hellmouth will bring to Sunnydale. When you know how the characters end, its fun to remember where they began.

Over the years most people write about the witty dialogue of the show - and it truly must be acknowledged. The writers brilliantly weave pop culture references with plot moving stories - but without the quick delivery of this stellar cast that would mean nothing. A glance can deliver more dialogue than a word ever could.

The show hooked me from the beginning, and its cast of mostly unknowns kept me from having any expectations. Joss Whedon created a spectacular world that feels as alive today as it did to me then.

Pondering the Downsides of Adulthood

Sometimes I don't enjoy being an adult. Friday morning as I sipped by Sumatra Mandheling from Benettis, I looked back on a rather rough week. Having made some tough decisions to keep myself in line with personal and financial goals, I found myself challenged in both realms.

Unauthorized activity in my account (twice!) forced me to speak rather roughly with CSRs. Since I was a CSR for a portion of my professional life, I try to be as friendly as possible. When I find them beginning their memorized speeches even though I've listed my issue, well, my tone shifts a bit. Both transactions are in the process of being corrected, but its forced me to delay a few payments. I prefer to pay things as soon as possible, not the last minute, so I find this rather annoying.

Then there was the neighborhood drama - one of which has been covered on the local news rather extensively.  The other was a home invasion across the street - where I actually saw the perps when I came home for lunch. Since the house recently sold I assumed it was just the new neighbors - found out later than evening how wrong I was. I live in an older part of Raytown which is usually pretty quiet, so these circumstances shook my mental standing just a bit.

The thing I'm learning about boundaries, though, is that as soon as they are in place they get tested. Whether those tests come from me, from random folk , or family, I have to decide if the boundary is important enough to hold or whether to make a gate. This week I'd give myself a C.

Adulthood means taking care of myself in all aspects with the abilities God has given me. More than ever I'm realizing that the people around me rather freely offer their opinions on my decisions/boundaries - and that I have to remain firm if I want to call myself an adult. This can be rather difficult - and maybe its just me, but I think that's because I'm single. When its just me and the Lord fighting these battles, to the outside observer I likely appear to need help - which may explain why those I love feel free to share unasked for advice. I'm learning and growing everyday, and I'm more than capable of asking for help when I'm overwhelmed.

Adulthood is a rough gig, but its better than staying a child in my parent's home forever.

Adios, Mi Hermano

My elder brother Jonathan left town last week to hike through the Sangre de Cristo mountain range. He's been living and working here in Kansas City for the past year, saving up funds and planning for this lengthy trek. It was great to have him in town - he's lived in other parts of the States for the majority of our adult lives.

What a great excuse for a garden party, right? It was a perfect weather evening - low 70's, slight breeze, no humidity and the food was quite yummy. Everyone brought their specialty food: Jess and Rach = BBQ ribs and chicken, Dad = baked beans, Kim = Oriental Salad. I supplied the homemade ice cream and brownies.

It was a great chance for our family to get together one last time before Jonathan left us for his hike. Last year he hiked the Appalachian Trail (in the winter months, of all things!) and I know he's looking forward to this time to get back out into the wilderness and explore. Have fun, be safe!

Dead in the Family

"Good" is one of those completely subjective terms and I try to keep that in mind - especially when touching the subject of vampire stories. A good vampire story is less about the vampirism and more about the characters (that's true of any story, but a subject for another time). Buffy the Vampire Slayer will always be my favorite - I'm in the process of purchasing the graphic novels so I can own the complete universe.

Last summer buzz about True Blood, an HBO series based upon Charlaine Harris' Sookie Stackhouse novels, was steadily increasing. As is my want, I thought I'd read the books before even considering watching the series. A quick check at the library revealed that I wasn't the only one interested - the queue was ridiculous - but NetLibrary (mcpl.org partner site) had them available for audio download. Joy!

I've never been so enthralled by audiobooks for a series I haven't previously read. Johanna Parker captures Sookie's mannerisms, intonations, and emotions so vividly that I enjoy hearing the books more than reading them. Bursts of laughter are not uncommon as I listen to these books.

Dead in the Family is the latest in the series and turns a corner. The past few novels have been quite dark, and you got the sense that Sookie was very much alone in the world. Here we see Sookie renewing and establishing ties with blood-family and chosen family. She's figuring out who she is, who she loves, who's out to get her and trying to enjoy life in her small town of Bon Temps, Louisiana. I want to live in her house - its totally the stuff of my dreams!

I love these stories for a variety of reasons - but I suppose at the core it the same as why I like Buffy. They don't seek to glorify the vampire world - they acknowledge it for the evil that exists within it (just like human world, right?). No one longs to be vampire but they've figured out ways to co-exist with them. There are good and bad vampires. In short, its an adult story with adult themes and much more satisfying that the Twilight novels (don't even get me started on those - ugh.).

Garden Update

Plant growth fascinates me, and I find myself wandering out to the garden plot several times a day to see what's happened. Green bean plants are beginning to send out their feelers and climb the cattle panels - I'm anticipating a large harvest and plan to can several jars. These are a great addition to winter soups. Cucumber plants are moving slowly, but my fingers are crossed. I'm on my final jar of last year's dill pickles and savoring each bite!

Most of the garden plants have been in place for about a month, and the tomatoes are my biggest encouragement this year. Apparently I got them into the ground at just the right time (last week of April, before a major rain), and they've really taken hold. Cherry tomatoes are already visible and I cannot wait to start picking them - one of my favorite summer snacks. Last year these plants didn't do quite so well - it appears that the new location, compost, and rain barrel water was a huge boost.

Zucchini are doing well so far, but about halfway through the growing cycle last year they died on me. That was most likely due to my failure to water in the heat of summer. I tend to forget that step and think the plants can subsist on their own. I intend to do a better job this year - zucchini breads are a wonderful breakfast treat.

The lettuce bed has had some hits and misses. I much prefer spinach to lettuce, but for some reason spinach just does not do well for me. Leaf lettuce, however, does quite well. Rather than do rows, I just sprinkle the seeds into a square area and clean up the edges to keep the plants neat. I've fallen in love with this shade of green - it jumps out at me each time I look outside and makes me want to munch.

The herbs are growing wonderfully too - which only makes my mouth water at the thought of fresh salsas, rice pilafs, and stews. The cilantor/coriander plant intrigues me - it has tiny white flowers that remind me of baby's breath. Garlic plants look very much like onion plants - huge green stalks above while the work goes on below.

Check out this flower - I'm pretty sure its a lily, but if you know otherwise please let me know! My back fence line has a huge bed of these plants (looked like they'd never been separated) and I've moved them throughout my new flower beds. The plants are quite tall - as tall as myself, in fact - and the flowers are a lovely shade of orange. They are flowering much better thanks to the transplantation, and I'll likely move some more this fall.

Storm Front

Audiobooks are a great way for me to keep up with my love of reading while I'm busy outdoors. A friend told me about Audible.com many years ago, and I've been more than satisfied with my membership (even though I had to put it on hold a while, thanks to tips from Dave Ramsey). When I first subscribed I loaded up on the Wheel of Time series - I already own them in hard copies but the audio versions give a completely different perspective.

In an effort to grow outside the familiar, I used one of my site credits to purchase Jim Butcher's Storm Front - despite the lukewarm reviews of the recording. If you are a SyFy fan you might remember a short lived series called The Dresden Files that aired a few years ago (and currently sits in my NetFlix instant watch queue). This is the first novel in the series that inspired the show.

Storm Front introduces Wizard-Detective Harry Dresden and a host of other characters. It reads much like an old school detective novel or film noir, and you can feel the scenes as James Marsters (aka Spike from Buffy the Vampire Slayer) reads. It took me a while to get into the rhythm of the story - and when its an 8 hour book that's not really a good thing. There was a lot of back history teased at, but it seemed to me that if the focus had been more on the current case and less on Harry's past dealings with the White Council I would have been more interested. Oh, and I came down on the side of "okay" with James Marsters' performance. While the sighs and other noises could have been distracting, I found (as did other reviewers) that it helped me picture Harry and his frustrations throughout the various scenes of the story.

I enjoyed the book overall, but I didn't immediate run back to my Audible wish list and add the next novel. This particular series is backburner'd until further notice.

Ladies Night - Old School

Last night I had the joy of hosting my second garden party of the year - Ladies Night with the original cast members! Having watched the sky with a weather eye (love that phrase from the Pirates of the Caribbean movies), I was pleased that the rain held off that evening. It was a bit humid but the steady breeze and light foods made for an enjoyable experience.

This time around I decide to try a couple different techniques, rather than just recipes. First up: pina coladas. After blending and tasting I could tell it wasn't quite right, but it was still drinkable and the ladies enjoyed it. Quite the refreshing beverage on a warm spring evening! Imagine my horror when I discovered about an hour later that the issue was not having stirred the pineapple juice! The layer of yummy pulp was clearly visible in the pitcher. Drat! You can bet I won't make that mistake again . . .

The second item had greater success. I'm not really a huge chocolate fan, though I adore dark chocolate when I'm in the mood. I scoured all my sources for recipes and came across this loveliness. I traded 1/2 cup of the milk for heavy cream and used a Ghiradelli 60% chocolate bar (the entire 4 ounces, not just 3.5). I love that there are bits of the chocolate bar that didn't melt so a chocolate chip effect happened. The picture doesn't do it justice - I should have photoed it in the service cups with a slight bit of melt. MMM.

For those of you in horror at the estimated calorie count - here's what I've found to be true in my life. If I cook/bake with good ingredients the food tastes incredible - which means I eat less of it. If I use so-so items, the calories taste different so I eat more of them. Its a total mental game - but it works for me!

Boundaries

I'm not one to read popular books - that is, I prefer to wait until everyone stops talking about the latest self-help/enrichment books and then read it with fresh eyes. This helps me see the book from my own perspective and not with the shades of interpretation others naturally add when they comment on it.

Dr. Henry Cloud and Dr. John Townsend are the current hot authors at KCBT for a variety of reasons - most notably because Pastor Adams recently attended their Leadership Conference and Jeff Cox taught a series based upon their Integrity book. Well, I picked up Integrity on recommendation, and I have to say I was not a fan. I found the book dry and dull - most likely because it was from a business perspective and that's just not something I care to read about. The book mentioned an earlier work called Boundaries, and since I'd heard that title mentioned (and had a gift certificate) I decided to pick it up from our bookstore.

I found Boundaries much more to my liking - in fact its filled with all sorts of notes and markings. The gist of the book is that Christians tend to lead lives that are rather free-flow - saying yes to activities and ministries even when they are too busy - instead of creating some boundaries in their lives and learning how to say no. As someone who's had to learn this the hard way, I found the principles incredibly helpful to shore up what I'd previously learned.

There are also chapters devoted to boundaries with family, co-workers, establishing boundaries for children, and even discussing the difficulties of establishing firm boundaries for themselves (how many times have you failed to keep a promise to eat better, work out more, stay on budget, etc.?).

I found the book immensely practical and the stories of others who've lived these principles (or not) were engaging and entertaining. I came across numerous passages and lessons that I've heard from others, and this was a great way to see where I've learned and applied (and where I need to shore up my boundaries a bit). All in all, this is a great read for anyone that's looking to grow a bit in a well-rounded way.

Gazelle Like Intensity

Its Biggest Loser season at KCBT, and since I've found that goals are just about the only thing that keeps me motivated I put my name on the list. Little did I expect that I'd end up a team leader, much less create a mini-crisis by calling my team "Gazelle".

At the time the email went out I was listening the Dave Ramsey Show podcast. I went through Financial Peace University about three years ago with a group of KCBT College students, and to say it changed my life is an understatement. I'd never before understood the purpose of a budget, much less how to make one that actually would work. I've been working to get myself out of a few holes I dug, and this time next year I expect to be debt-free (except the house).

Dave challenges listeners to pay down debt with gazelle like intensity - what does that mean, you ask? You move really fast to accomplish your goal so those dratted lions don't eat you alive! Well, there are some lessons I just have to learn the hard way - paying back my debt at the same speed with which it accrued makes me desire more and more to never, ever put myself into this position again. As my goal gets closer, though, I find myself feeling a few more gazelle-like tendencies.

Anyway, back to Biggest Loser. "Gazelle" seemed like a great way to inspire myself on multiple levels; however, the prompt email flight revealed not everyone quite got to the connection. So when someone on the other team made a suggestion that I found hysterical, I made an executive decision and totally swiped it - feeling no guilt as it wasn't the team leader that suggested it/claimed it (yup, that's how I roll).

So Team 2 will hereafter be referred to as Los Perros de Martillo de Oro, and with gazelle-like intensity we will hammer at our healthy living goals with the tenacity of my pup, Miss Sumatra. Let the good times roll!

Revisiting Old Friends

Sometimes picking up a book is like coming across an old friend unexpectedly. You know, it feels like no time has passed and memories begin flowing as you chat. That's exactly how I felt as I began listening to Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon, one of my choices this month from Audible.

It's the second book in her Outlander series, but it was the first one I picked up about 20 years ago while I was still in high school. At the time I was more than obsessed with stories set in ancient Great Britain (Robin Hood, Arthurian legends and the like) - kilts, swords, and great adventures were a grand form of escapism. This book captured my attention. Set in the 1970's, the story utilizes the Standing Stones found throughout Great Britain as a means of time travel back 200 years to Scotland in the time of Bonnie Prince Charlie. After I read the copy from the library I quickly ran out and purchased my own, then eagerly awaited each new installment of the series.

The books are written in first person from Claire's persepective, and hearing them read by a woman with a British accent (Claire is English) gives a whole new layer to this epic story. I can clearly see each scene in my mind's eye and am once more captivated by Claire Randall and Jamie Fraser's century spanning love story.

Yes, that's right - while this is historical fiction there are definite romance novel scenes (which are most disconcerting when you hear them read sitting at work!). Their arguments are probably my favorite scenes, though - imagine a modern feminist clashing with an Highland warrior. Hysterical!

This is my favorite book in the series and at approximately 24 hours of reading it was definitely worth one of my Audible credits this month.

Royal memories

Last night I was offered a ticket to see the Royals, and as the company would be good and I had nothing but weed pulling on my agenda I hopped at the chance. I can't remember the last time I'd been to the stadium, and all the remodeling work they've done is rather impressive. Our seats were fantastic (second row behind the home team dugout!) and the weather was lovely.

Walking into the stadium I found myself reminiscing about my childhood at Royals stadium. I was lucky enough to be a child during the George Brett years - pine tar incident, 1985 world series - and have many wonderful memories of attending games. Dad usually picked up the stat card and filled it in as the game progressed. Mom would bring paper grocery sacks filled with popcorn, and I seem to recall Vess soda being in her bag as well (mmm - cream soda and root beer were the best!). Frosty malts and peanuts were often purchased as traditional ballpark fare. Sometimes we'd stay until the very end and run around collecting souvenir cups people left behind.  I might not understand the game stats or know players by name, I certainly enjoy sitting outside on a warm summer night and watching things go down.

On the row in front of us last night were two fathers with their sons. It was so sweet to watch the care they took with their boys: quizzing them on game info to ensure they were learning, helping them persuade Royals players to toss them game balls (they each scored 2!), and buying them treats. Glancing around the stadium proved this was not an isolated situation - fathers were everywhere with their young children, simply enjoying an evening out together.

Adults have a different game view than children - we observe the missed plays, the low ranking teams, the bad calls. Children remember the time spent with the family, ball park treats, and players that kindly toss them souvenirs. Wouldn't all of our lives be happier if we remembered the best parts and not the worst of each experience?