Lori's comments

Lori's comments from the Chicks On Lit group.

Note: Lori is no longer a member of this group.

Hi I just finished this book a few hours, and as I turned the pages at the end and saw there was no more after the "man rising up" animation, I felt almost cheated and full of depair. "What? It's oveerrrr" I wailed.

And it's interesting I had that response because I thought it was an excellent and fitting end for the book. I think I wanted it wrapped up more neatly after all the real life murkiness and confusion of real life!

So this leads me to ask: what do you think happened? Did Grandma (we never do learn her name, do we?) and Thomas ever come back home together? We know that Oscar finds out that the renter is in fact his Grandpa, but that could be from the letter that she was writing in the airport.

My beloved guardian angel cat, a stray tiny kitty but true Manx, used to love Doritos and cantelope! Her favorites!

Yay Atwood! She's someone who if they have a new book out, I get agitated until I have it in my hands.

I recently finished Shantarum which was a loooong and heavy read but excellent, and now I'm on Neal Stephenson's new book Anathem which was not a smooth start - it has different vocabulary words and takes place on an alternative universe (maybe) with complex history which ordinarily wouldn't be a problem for me, except my brain had to work for Shantarum and it wanted to shut down with my next book! So I'd only read a few pages at a time, which didn't help since I lost all continuity. After a week of this, something finally clicked and I'm loving it.

I'm on too many groups! I discovered you wonderful people just recently, but that's why I don't post so much. Actually, I don't post that often elsewhere, all my time is spend catching up on posts others have written. And then I wonder why I've been on the computer all day and haven't gotten a thing done in the real world.

Ah yes, that's a wonderful thing. I've seen many retired Greyhounds, and they are wonderful companions. Did you know that they are considered livestock? So the racers get away with treating them worse than dogs.

Oh my, not just one but TWO JRTs??? Do you have any curtains left? heehee

Amanda beat me to the instructions, and explained it so much better too!

Her poodles trained her well. :)

I am also much too visual to listen to a book. Also, I don't want to do anything else when I'm with a book, I am far too fully engrossed. I'm not sure I'd get the same experience out of listening to a book while, say, driving, or cleaning the house.

The dogs for allergic people are huge right now, and there are many breeds being mixed with poodles, either standard or minis (not toys). There's the Labradoodles, the Goldendoodles, the Cockerpoo, and lately I've seen others as well. The Doodles were the Latest Greatest Designer Dogs (aka mutts!) of a few years ago, and they are expensive! I like the Goldendoodles alittle better than the labs, they have a more even, sweeter temperament, I've met some seriously hyper wacked out labradoodles.

Wheaton terriers are a medium sized dog and I love them, very cool dog! They are very spunky but don't have that insane Terror personality, really playful and sweet. Schnauzers are also hypo-allergenic I believe. And of course poodles, who are actually extremely athletic and doggy, not frou frou at all!

The difference is in the fur vs. hair. The hypo-allergenics have hair, and don't shed.

Hey can you tell? I love dogs! Haha, I've got a German Shepherd, oh, he is my best friend, so smart, so dear, so loyal, so sweet, super friendly.



I also have 3 kitties, 2 that are 1 year old now rescued from a feral mom, brother and sister. The male is right now sitting on my lap busy snuggling in my armpit. He's nuts. You look at him and you see Trouble! His sister is sugar and spice and everything nice. And I have one older one I took in from someone who couldn't keep her anymore. She hates everyone except me. Perpetual scowl.

Well wouldja look at this? Article on fall colors!

http://travel.yahoo.com/p-interests-2366...

Interesting how it mentions the Adirondacks in NYS, and how most Manhattanites forget just how glorious the state is and traipse off to Vermont and New Hampshire! New York State is really the place still in my dreams, as the most beautiful of all. Doesn't sound like it gets that crowded either.

The NE is big enough to deal with the crowds, there's Vermont, Maine, Massachusetts and New Hampshire to choose from, but you're right, everyone wants to see the Utmost Peak and there are grave discussions and forecasts as to when The Peakest of the Peak will occur! hee. I usually went to New Hampshire myself, near Whiteface Mountain, which is also an awesome experience. Also went to Vermont but can't remember where.

I haven't been there but Toronto is a glorious city, very European in flavor.

And I agree, Niagara Falls is spectacular. If you are going to the NE next month you should take a scenic drive to see those trees, it will peak mid-October, lucky you.

The Delaware water gap is one of my favorite places as the escape from Manhattan getaway. Beautiful.

Hi everyone, Amanda urged us chics in Mini Amsterdam months ago to check out this group, and since then I've occasionally lurked, and started posting last night. Whenever I meet new people my nervous habit is to talk waaay too much, so sorry for my very long posts, I promise I calm down after a little while.

I'm from New York, bred in Brooklyn, worked in Manhattan after college, got completely sick of it after being successful there and wanted out. So my hubby and I moved to Seattle 18 years ago, and I love it here. I was an actress for a little bit, but settled into media - print, TV, film, music, radio, etc. - becoming a project director, creative manager, producer, who knows, they always had trouble finding a title that fit exactly to all my doings.

I have a 12 YO son who love to play football of all things. I figured I'd have a kid like me, you know, arty, reads alot, loves school. HAHAHAHAHA!!!! Many karmic lessons when you have kids. I've been with my husband for almost 25 years. *scratches head at that thought - 25 years!*

I have a German Shepherd, Raider, who I adore, and 3 cats, 2 kitties almost 1 now that I rescued of which I love, and another older rescue who is a bit neurotic. And a fish tank.

I was an English major, so my tastes run to classic and modern literature, and I indulge in science fiction and fantasy. I actually think some of the most brilliant stuff is being done in those genres in the last decade.

Right now I'm fortunate to not have to work, but when my son is older I think I'd like to work in the library system.

So it's not just me! And as for all of you in your 30s complaining you're old, bah humbug to you, and anyway how did it happen that I get to be the old crone of practically every group I join? Huh?

I moved to Seattle from NYC when I was about 35 and had a horrible time making friends. I've never had a lot of friends, really I'm the type who just wants one or 2, but very very close. Outside that I have a large circle of "friends" but since I don't bare my soul, it's not what I really call a friend.

And in Seattle everyone is so polite, and friendly, but it's very difficult to get to the intimate level, which is what I'm interested in. Everyone I worked for was different too. I finally made friends when my son and I joined a preschool coop.

Now what's weird is I could have deep friendships with some but I've become a bit of a loner and homebody! I think it might be because I too was hurt very badly about 7 years ago with someone I thought was a true friend but stabbed me in the back. That turned my head around so much but after a year I realized that it was the best thing to happen to me because I thought well fuck (do we curse here? I'm from NYC, the cursing capital of the world!) off, I am who I am and if you think I'm too intense that's your problem with feelings, and has nothing to do with me. It was very liberating in every way. Please, I have enough of my own, I don't need you projecting yours onto me!

And then I was very happy being on my own! And I have my dog, who is my best friend.

Oh yeah, I've got my husband too! :D

And now suddenly people are calling me, and I'm having a hard time finding motivation to calling them back. What's wrong with me? I think I too am in a rut, inbetween stage of my life, with my son almost 13, not needing me so much. Except emotionally of course, even if he doesn't act like it - "Your very existence mortifies me, Mom. Go away."

Haaaaaahaaaaaaa. Fortunately I find that very very funny. And kind of cute.

Hi Laura! I was a chronic insomniac with the same problem - 4 hours of sleep and then waking up for hours, often not falling back asleep until right before it was time to get. This was for most of my life so I have lots of tips!

But I'll start by saying pre-menopause can most definitely start in the late 30s. Are you undergoing any other big changes in your life, like children all grown up, stuff like that is something to think about.

I used progesterone cream for a few years, it does help with the mild early symptoms. No real miracles tho.

Take calcium at night, with mag and vit D to help you absorb the calcium, which is a body relaxant.

I used to take tryptophane years and years ago, that helped.

I say yes to getting up and getting a little snack, carbs are good, and cheese has the calcium so chees and crackers is very soothing. Warm milk helps as well. You might even go for whole milk, that's the one that has natural tryptophane. BTW tryptophane is the um um enzyme? or something that our body itself produces right before sleep.

I also used to step outside and listen to the quiet, gaze at the stars, just generally get completely outside of myself and my whirlwind head. Whatever does that to you. Nothing strenuous, maybe writing? Visualization, not forced but like daydreaming, can guide you into that state we go thru before we sleep.

Writing dreams down are nice. Then you start remembering even more of your dreams, and they start ushering and welcoming you into dreamworld.

Try going to the couch. A change in area might help alot! If we stay in bed without sleeping the bed itself might be triggering anxiety. Yes, deep relaxing does do good, so don't fret if you can't sleep. Easier said than done, right?

Meg - finally they put me on trazadone as well. It DOES work nicely, doesn't it.

What a lovely thread! And what a warm group of people here. I'm an occasional lurker, but the feelings of trust and respect in how you all talk to each other made me a bit misty-eyed. I'll introduce myself in the proper thread tomorrow as it's already way past the time I said I'd be off the computer, but just had to respond here.

First of, I love going to places alone, and always have once I got over my stupid fear of being uncool after college. I've traveled alone, gone to restaurants alone, movies, etc. I'm not lonely when I'm alone. Altho it probably helps that I'm married, with a kid, etc. so just the opposite, I'm DYING to be alone when I can!

Second, I love when people ask me what I'm reading, in that maybe they also love to read and I can get some good book recommendations. Altho I have to admit, if they read completely different books from me I'm a bit disappointed and want to get back to my own book if it's fully engrossing me. I think since I am alone a fair bit of my time I've come to enjoy conversations with complete strangers, and how wonderful if there's a spark of connection, however brief.

Oh and Tera, I'm a transplant to Seattle myself but more on that in my intro. Tomorrow. Unless I forget. In another of those more frequent senior moments!

Anastasia - screw people, if they don't like it, it's their problem, not yours! I don't read fluff but I do read lots of science fiction and fantasy, which is worse than fluff if most people's minds. I can see the gears in their mind going, "Oh one of those weirdos", as they back off slowly.