2024, Catzteach’s many adventures, reading and elsewhere

Happy New Year everyone!

It’s a new year so a new thread. Last year I didn’t read near as many books as my usual. Only 49! I usually read around 70. Too much time stressed and just not having the brain to read. I’m hoping to make it to at least 60 this year.

I started reading Warbreaker last week. I have decided to stop reading it and put it off till the summer. It’s very big and I want to be able to sit and focus on reading it. I was enjoying it. I want to give it the time it deserves.

I’m starting the new year with Bookshops & Bonedust. A good way to start the year, I think. :)

Happy new year, and happy new thread!

Here's to reducing stress and more reading. I hope it happens for you!

>1 catzteach: I hear you about reading less due to stress last year. Here's to happy reading in 2024 :)

Happy New Thread!

Happy New Year! Happy New Thread!

Isn't Warbreaker a doorstop? Definitely hold off on that one for a bit. (I've been holding off for over a decade!)

>1 catzteach: & >6 clamairy: I read it and enjoyed it a lot. I don't recall it feeling huge, but I can well understand wanting time to give it the attention due. Each new world I climb into takes more and more concentration from me, which is in short supply now. Still, >6 clamairy: you should move it up the pile, it is a good read. I bought it when it came out and put off reading it until 2022. Well worth the wait.

>7 MrsLee: I believe it is my daughter's favorite Sanderson. Part of me wonders if that's because she felt she had a little bit of a hand in helping advise him which cover to pick back in the day. (I'm not sure if you recall but he came in here with several samples.)

>8 clamairy: I remember reading it as a pdf, which he shared with us before it was published, if I am not mistaken.

>8 clamairy: I had forgotten that! There were some lovely covers as I recall. I do love the one that was chosen.

Happy reading in 2024!

Happy New Year! I hope it brings you great books and good times with your kids in the classroom.

Warbreaker is big but I found it to be a fast read. I think I like that and Elantris the best of his novels so far.

Happy new thread! And coincidentally, happy new year too.

>8 clamairy: & >9 littlegeek: Wait, what? He used to be a Dragoneer? Too cool! You guys are lucky you were able to hobnob with him.

Had to go back to work today. I did miss the kids. They are such a great group! I tried to do a rules reminder activity with them. It was supposed to be loud and silly and just chaotic so they would realize rules and expectations are to keep things safe and learning easier. These guys are so sweet, they couldn't do it! The lesson fell flat. Part of me was actually disappointed. :)

I started two new novel groups with them: Hatchet and Kenny and the Dragon. I've read Hatchet plenty of times and have read the others that follow it. It's my first read and teaching of Kenny and the Dragon, though. I hope it's good and that the kids like it. The Spiderwick Chronicles were very good so crossing my fingers for this one.

>14 catzteach: He spent a lot of time with us in the beginning. And then suddenly he couldn't. I met him a few years ago in NYC at the book expo, and I told him I was from the Green Dragon on LibraryThing. He told me how much he misses being able to chit chat like that, and he looked very wistful. I know fame has its price, and that was part of it.

It sounds as though you're off to a great 2024 in your classroom! I'm so glad you have a good bunch of younglings this year.

>15 clamairy: what a bummer he couldn’t continue to stay here. Happy for his success as an author, though.

Just finished Bookshops & Bonedust. Great read! I hope we get more books about Viv, her friends, and their adventures.

Now off to read Dirty Thirty. I borrowed it from a friend and another friend is waiting for it. If I take full advantage of today’s Snow Day, I could get it back to said friend tomorrow. But I really do think I should clean some today. :)

>17 catzteach: Cleaning on a snowday?! Blasphemy! This day is an unexpected gift, savor it.

Just finished listening to Rob Lowe's Stories I Only Tell My Friends. He reads it himself. He's very talented with voices! I really enjoyed listening to it. Now to find another book to listen to on my way to work.

Sitting here watching it snow and waiting for my tea to steep. I spent two hours at the doc’s yesterday going over general health test results. Overall, my health seems to be good. He ordered a heart CT just to make sure my high cholesterol, which I’ve had since I was 19, isn’t causing anything alarming. I have to lose 20 pounds. He recommended a Mediterranean way of eating. I have one cookbook for that, but would like to get some others. I’m already realizing not snacking is going to be really hard. Hence the tea. I’m hoping that helps. It was a nice kick in the butt for me to get back on my running and strength routine. I weigh the most I ever have and it is messing with my confidence and how I see myself (I look in the mirror and see someone who weighs 300 pounds, not good).

I’m about done with Dirty Thirty. Not sure what I’ll start next.

Finished Food for the Gods. It took me a bit to get into it, but once I did, I really liked it.

I am now reading An Inheritance of Magic.

In other news, the thaw has occurred. Last week we had an ice storm. Schools were closed, but I still had to go to a bargaining session. Driving on ice is so not fun. The bargaining teams are getting closer to a settlement but did mutually decide to call for mediation. It may take a couple of months to get a mediator. We will continue to meet and bargain in the meantime.

I’m also dealing with hives. Through learning about them, I’ve realized that I’ve been dealing with them for as long as I can remember. My skin doesn’t break out in them, it just gets super itchy. I didn’t realize not everyone itches when they take their socks off at night or when they take their watch off. They have gotten worse recently. I go to the allergist in two days and have been off allergy meds since last Thursday. I’ve been itchy like crazy and have bruises and sores from scratching so much. I’ll be glad when I can take some Benadryl Thursday after the appointment. And hopefully get a reason and a solution for them.

>21 catzteach: Aargh, I hope you get the itching under control. That sounds super annoying and distracting.

>21 catzteach: Ugh. Icy roads, mediation delays, no wonder your hives are acting up! May you find a solution soon to one or more of these problems. I suppose the icy roads are gone for now, so that's one, but you know what I mean.

>21 catzteach: Oh no! Which allergy medication were you taking? It wasn't Allegra by any chance, was it? My daughter's housemate went off Allegra and part of the withdrawal symptoms were itching from head to toe, and for quite a while. I think she ended up having to take something else and then wean herself off that. Best of luck to you with that and with the negotiations.

>24 clamairy: I’ve been on Zyrtec (Allertec, Costco version) for years. I suppose it could be partly withdrawal. I had an allergic reaction in July and they’ve been active ever since. Just worse now that I’m not taking anything. I mentioned them to my dentist today and the hygienist noticed I’m allergic to sulfur. She thinks it may also be all the soaps. There are sulfas in most liquid soaps. I’ve been using bar shampoo and bar body soap for a few years, but our laundry detergent still has sulphates. I bought a sulphate free one today.

Finished Butts: a backstory today. I listened to it on a whim. It was actually really interesting. It was the history of how women’s butts are viewed by society. There are a lot of racist ties to how we view butts. And, did you all know twerking is not a modern phenomenon? It’s been around for hundreds of years! I had no idea!

>25 catzteach: I did some Googling after I posted my comment. Zyrtec is one of the few antihistamines that is supposed to be safe to take long-term, but it can still trigger intense itching if you stop taking it cold turkey. Perhaps try taking a ½ or ¼ of one? (I had only been taking a ½ of the same Costco one for the past year because studies indicate it helps with hot flashes. I didn't notice much of a difference, so I stopped. Doesn't seem to make much sense but my nose is running less than it was when I was taking it. LOL ) I wish you luck! And yes, sadly there is all sorts of extra crap in over-the-counter products. I have been searching high and low for a good sensitivity toothpaste that doesn't have sodium lauryl sulfate in it because it messes with my gums.

Twerking is centuries old? What name did it used to go by?

>26 clamairy:
Is Sensodyne toothpaste available in the US? Its website states that most of its products do not have sodium lauryl sulfate.
https://www.sensodyne.com/en-us/about-sensodyne/ingredients/#:~:text=Most%20Sens....

I worked in the plant that manufactured Sensodyne and supplied the the product to most countries. I cannot recall if they supplied the US. It was a fascinating assignment. I have been using the product ever since.

>27 pgmcc: I use Sensodyne. I had stopped using commercial toothpaste quite a few years ago, making my own paste, but it was too hard on my enamel and my dentist recommended Sensodyne. Been using it ever since with no issues.

>28 MrsLee:
Good to hear that. Our dentist recommends it too.

I heard a funny story when I was working in the factory. This story goes way back. I do not know if it was the 60s or 70s. Regardless of the decade, the story relates to a rumour in Germany that fluoride was causing illness. At the time every commercially available toothpaste except Sensodyne advertised the use of fluoride in their product. This led to the perception that Sensodyne did not have fluoride in their product. There was a big shift from other products to Sensodyne. As it happened, the product did contain fluoride but the company very quickly changed its formula and excluded fluoride.

It must have been the 60s or 70s because since them products have to have a list of their ingredients on the packaging.

>26 clamairy: Interesting info. I bet that’s part of my current problem. Ugh. I am just looking forward to taking something this evening for relief and hoping to have some sort of answer.

>27 pgmcc: I have been using Sensodyne for a couple of years now. Yesterday’s hygienist wasn’t sure if it had sulfates. Glad to hear it doesn’t. She was having issues with other toothpastes because of the sulfates and had to stop using all but the natural ones.

>26 clamairy: I believe the book said it was called twerking. It originated in Africa and migrated to New Orleans, if I’m remembering correctly. It didn’t become known mainstream until the Miley Cyrus debacle. There was a chapter on that, too. But there are a people who teach classes on how to do it.

>27 pgmcc: Yes it's available in the US, no it does not have the same ingredients as the European variety. Some of them have sodium lauryl sulfate, and some of them do not. You have to read the label for each box to find out. Right now the one I am using is called Sensodyne Pronamel.

Well, the last two days were rather busy:

Dentist - need to get a filling redone because it has worn down too much.

Allergist - the hives is an autoimmune issue. Nothing to do about it except take more Allertec. If that doesn’t work, then another med on top of that. If that doesn’t work, then a shot about once a month. He did find it interesting that my sister and brother both suffer from hives and itching; might there be a gene responsible for this condition? And we are going to investigate whether I’m truly allergic to sulfas. I get to go to the office, get injected with some sulfa solution, then sit and wait to see what happens.

Heart scan - Arteries are clear (woohoo!), found scarring on my lymph nodes (apparently nothing to worry about), saw my “tiny” hiatal hernia (glad it hasn’t gotten worse over the years), and then did find some calcification on two of my heart valves. I’m now going to go see a cardiologist to make sure it’s nothing to be too concerned about it. Waiting for the referral to go through so it’ll be a while.

>32 catzteach: Wishing you best of luck with everything!

>32 catzteach: That's a lot on your plate. Best of luck with all of it!

Thank you for the well wishes.

Finished An Inheritance of Magic the other day. It was a BB from here, but I can never remember who hit me with BBs. Must’ve been someone who is stealthy. :) I really liked this book. I will keeping an eye out for the nest one. I think I saw that it’s coming out in June?

I’m now reading The Wager for book club and listening to Making It So.

>35 catzteach: An Inheritance of Magic sounds brilliant - just snagged it from the library! Thanks for the BB. :)

>27 pgmcc: I am using it now. Got it at Walmart.

>35 catzteach: Is the audio of Making it So narrated by Sir Pat himself?

>35 catzteach: Glad to be of service. :) I hope you enjoy it.

>38 clamairy: It is. I love his voice, even creaky with age. It’s a long listen, though. 18 hours. I’m afraid I’m going to have to figure out how to buy it. I don’t have Audible but I do have Prime. Maybe I can get it from there. It’s too long to finish before it’s due back at the library.

>39 catzteach: Oh, I guess there are too many people waiting for it for you to be able to renew it. When that happens to me I do a marathon listening session.

>40 clamairy: wish I could do a marathon listening session. I don’t have time during the day. I did remember that Spotify gives 15 hours of audible books to members. I looked. They have it! So I’m listening to it through that. :)

Finished Fourth Wing last night. Very good. Definitely read like a YA, though. I loved the idea of bonding with dragons. I’ve put a hold on the second one. Hopefully it comes soon.

Still trying to get in to see a cardiologist. They didn’t receive the first referral. Sent a second referral. Didn’t hear back. Called yesterday. Got a call from the cardiologist office today. They still hadn’t received the referral. I told her I was referred because of a scan that showed calcification. She took my doctor’s number and said she would call him. Hopefully I get a call back early next week and can make an appointment. Sigh.

>41 catzteach: Glad you are following up on that! If there is anything I have learned, it is to be the squeaky wheel in a kind way. Persistence is needed to get a response.

>41 catzteach: Yikes. That's terrible. I wonder if they are sending the referral to the wrong email/fax number/whatever. (A lot of the offices around here still use fax machines for some unknown reason.) I hope you get it all sorted out, and get your appointment scheduled soon.

>43 clamairy: I’m wondering if it’s getting lost in the shuffle, too. Wrong fax number, someone else picks it up. Why they can’t just put it into a portal and it send is beyond me. My PT can get my bone scan results via the computer; why can’t a referral be sent that way?

>41 catzteach: You'd think records could be transferred more efficiently. Good luck, I hope that mess gets straightened out soon.

DNF’d The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store last night. I gave it the first 100 pages. Just couldn’t get into it. So I started Spare, which is my book club book this month.

In other news, still haven’t been able to get an appointment with the cardiologist. I’ll call again tomorrow.

I had some excitement in my classroom yesterday when I caught my little Spanish speaker looking up porn on his (school issued) iPad. Erg. Luckily he doesn’t know to clear his browsing history. Made his “it was an accident” excuse very unbelievable. Little stinker had been looking things up on YouTube as well. I really wish IT would figure out how to make these things safer.

>46 catzteach: Best of luck getting the appointment. That's very discouraging.

And yikes. These are 2nd graders? He's what, 7 or 8 years old? If they take the iPads home it might not have been him that looked it up the first few times, but an older sibling or friend. Just trying to give the kid the benefit of the doubt.

>47 clamairy: he’s 9; third grade. And he was looking on purpose. We found other things in his history. I guess his mom was mortified. He will not have iPad privileges for a while.

How does your school-issued tablet not have nanny software on there? I'm so sorry this has to become your problem.

>49 reconditereader: Good question! It does have some filters. But, unfortunately, kids have free rein over the internet and YouTube. I do have Apple Classroom so I can see their screens. But it doesn’t always work correctly, either. I have about half my class that shows up on it. Thing is, all the streaming providers (Prime, Netflix, etc) have blocked us from streaming in the classroom. If that’s possible, how can we not block iPads better? Especially in elementary schools.

The plus side has been that he’s been forced to interact more rather than sit and “learn” on his iPad.

I finally got an appointment with the cardiologist. It’s on Thursday. Hopefully I get a “it’s normal for your age” response.

>50 catzteach: It's rather surprising your school hasn't set up stronger web content filtering, which should work as long as kids connect to the school's network for internet. It won't help much if the kids bypass it using a cellular carrier. Then it would be on the parents to put some filters on the device.

>51 Narilka: Maybe after this, they will. I know my principal is lobbying hard for more protection measures. This one iPad is going to come back with all parental controls set. It’ll be interesting to see what the kid has access to.

I finished Spare last night. I knew Meghan was treated poorly, but I didn’t know it had gotten that bad. I don’t blame Harry for getting his family out of that situation. I hope they have a wonderful life outside of the Royal spotlight. This was a book club read for February, but I’m glad I read it.

Now onto Iron Flame. It’s a big one so it’ll take me awhile to read.

Finished listening to Making It So this morning. A very good book. I was disappointed that Patrick Stewart cheated on two of his wives. He has had an interesting life. And I really like hearing about his days on Star Trek. He ended the book well.

Finished Iron Flame. It was a good second book. I’m assuming a third one will be written.

And now I’m reading The Frugal Wizard’s Handbook for Surviving Medieval England. I am really enjoying this one! This is my first Brandon Sanderson book. If all of his are this good, than I’m a fan!

Just finished Frugal Wizard. It was a really fun read. I’m glad it was my first foray into Sanderson’s writing. I’ll definitely be exploring his other writings now. :)

In other news, the cardiologist does indeed think I’m just a “watch and monitor” patient. I am getting an echocardiogram done in April, but she isn’t worried. She is happy with the fact that I’m a runner and have started really watching what I put into my body.

I have decided to start training for a running event in August, Haulin’ Aspen. It is a trail run of 13 or 26 miles. I’ll be training for the 26 miler with a friend. We are up to 6 miles right now. We have lots of work ahead of us. :)

>55 catzteach: Good luck with the training! You have plenty of Sanderson books to choose from. He's VERY prolific.

>56 clamairy: the training will be easier than my last marathon training as it’ll be in the spring and summer. No running on ice and snow.

I’m looking forward to reading more Sanderson.

So many books, so little time. :)

>57 catzteach: Another short Sanderson is The Emperor’s Soul. It is the only book of his I have read but it made me immediately purchase Elantris, (currently on my imminent TBR). Highly recommended.

>58 ScoLgo: Yes, that still remains my favorite of his. I believe I've read 13 or so of his...

The Trouble with Twelfth Grave The 12th of the Charley Davidson series. Charley and the gang solve another mystery while also fighting supernatural forces.

Summoned to Thirteenth Grave The last in the Charley Davidson series. A satisfying ending, but I’m a bit sad, too. I really enjoyed this series and Charley’s snark.

Hopefully this week I’ll get another book or two read. That and getting some stuff I no longer need out of my house are my only plans for Spring Break. Well, ok, maybe sleeping some, too. :D

>60 catzteach: I didn't get a chance to congratulate you on the delicious eggplant dish in the weekend thread. I'm glad it turned so well. Did you like it enough to make it for just yourselves? It freezes beautifully.

>61 clamairy: I didn’t like it much. :) I have since talked to a friend who also wasn’t crazy about eggplant at one point. She has since learned to brine her eggplant first. So I might try it again but brine the eggplant this time. Or maybe try eggplant in another dish as I have also heard that eggplant soaks up the flavor of what’s around it.

You have to heavily salt eggplant before cooking it in order for it to be tasty.

>62 catzteach: I have grown very fond of it. Especially the slender white ones. They are very mild in flavor.

>62 catzteach: Maybe it's simply not your kind of vegetable?
I adore eggplant, though. As reconditereader pointed out, it's good to put some salt on your eggplant slices before cooking - at least for some varieties.

>63 reconditereader: ... and throw away the fluid that comes out. It's bitter.

>62 catzteach: I used to salt the large ones after I sliced or cubed them, let them sit 10 or 15 minutes, rinse, dry, then cook. I didn't need to do that with the slender Japanese or smaller varieties. My favorite way to eat them was cubed, put on a baking sheet with other veggies like zucchini, tomatoes, onions and garlic, drizzled with oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, then roasted at about 375° until deeply browned.

I don't eat it now because it irritated my arthritis.

Thanks, All! I’ll try it again and be sure to let the salt soak in before I cook it. The recipe did have me salt it, but it didn’t have it sit for very long before cooking. It may not be my kind of vegetable, but I don’t want to give up on it just yet. :)

I have actually been reading. :)

Valdemar: The Founding of Valdemar Book 3 The continuation of how Valdemar was created. It took at least half the book before the Companions came along. I will always have a soft spot for the Valdemar books. They were among the first fantasies I read when I was younger and just starting to read fantasy.

Also read Consort of Fire. I believe this was read by someone else here on LT. I’m horrible at keeping track of who recommends what. It was on ok read. Kind of an erotic Beauty and the Beast, except Beauty is supposed to kill the Beast.

And I just finished Zodiac Academy. Darcy and Tory are twins who were orphaned when babies. Spent their lives growing up in foster care. At the age of 18, they find out that they are actually changelings and are royalty in the Fae world. They go to Zodiac Academy to find their powers and receive their inheritance. But wait, they have enemies who do not want them on the throne. It was a quick, fluffy read. There were quite a few grammatical and editing errors. That always drives me nuts. I mean, really, what writer and/or editor doesn’t know that neither and nor go together? That said, I am kinda hooked and want to know how and when the twins get their powers under control and who is there real enemy. So, yeah, I’ll probably read the others.

Now to choose my next read. :)

>69 catzteach: Fantasy nostalgia and quick fluffy reads - it sounds perfect :)

Just finished The Man Who Died Twice. Ah, the Thursday Murder Club. Love them! It seems the authors on the other side of the pond are much better at writing mysteries than the ones over here. I like all the twists and turns and how I rarely, if ever, figure out who did it. Usually over here, especially in tv shows, it’s one of the first people they ever talk to about the crime.

My goal for the next few months is to read a library book, then read one I own. Since this was a library book, I now need to pick one of my own. Think I’ll turn to the Kindle for this one.