Measured Words

Read: Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea

I had heard Ms. Demick speaking about her book, "Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea" on NPR a few weeks ago and considering my fascination with North Korea, thought this would be a good read.

Turns out it was a perfectly fine read.

The book was more of a novelized take on interviews the author had with defectors to South Korea beginning around 2004. I have no doubt that she's attempted to accurately portray their statements, but the fact that she's only able to interview defectors naturally skews the take on things in North Korea.

This approach to the book, while interesting, left me wondering how much of it was factual. I almost wish she had either done this as a novel or as a pure academic take on research.

This is Callie

This is Callie. She is a Shetland Sheepdog. She's 11. She'll be 12 in July.

Callie gets visited by M.O.T.H. (Master Of The Hounds) from Mailman's Pet Service on Tuesdays and Thursday for a WALK. This is REALLY EXCITING for Callie and Cash and Fenway because they get a glorious walk around the neighborhood with random dog friends.

This is also really exciting for me because M.O.T.H. leaves great notes. I mostly pay for a dogwalker just to get someone to write notes to me about my dogs.

This was today's note:

1.10.12 3:15 - 4 p.m.

We had a great walk everybody peed, the boys pooped all got treats, Thank you, MaryAnn (MOTH).

Ps. Callie got a label from a box stuck on her paw and was having a hissy fit till I got it off - LOL!!

***

Good job, Callie

New England's Spring in January

We had a fantastic day Saturday wandering around the North End of Boston. Someone forgot to tell
New England it's January... and it was a gorgeous 60F & sunny. So we ended up walking along the waterfront... stopping to get cannolis & coffee & just generally lounging in the sun.

We had lunch at Neptune Oyster with my friend/colleague Jenn... the girl I stayed with in London. She's negotiated a move back there! So exciting!!! I'm so super happy for her.

We really love Jenn. She truly has just a great heart... so easy to hang out with and was wonderful to tour St Paul's Cathedral with me when I was there in June and Kathryn's mom was toward the end. Jenn even very sweetly brought us a St Paul Christmas ornament when she came back in December.

After lunch, we walked around the North End... and of course my wife who knows everyone... knew the counter guy at this coffee shop. She had worked with him at a print shop 20 years ago. He was straight out of central casting with his thick Boston/Italian accent. Loved it.

 

Then we stopped off at Mike's Pastry and got some fabulous cannolis & coffees.

And then we sat by the Boston Harbor & ate them in the sunshine. :)

 

 

My 2011 Books Read

	Mockingjay (The Hunger Games, #3)	Collins, Suzanne	4.08		read [edit]	Jan 02, 2012 [edit]	Jan 02, 2012
	Catching Fire (The Hunger Games, #2)	Collins, Suzanne	4.39		read [edit]	Dec 31, 2011 [edit]	Jan 01, 2012
	The Hunger Games (The Hunger Games, #1)	Collins, Suzanne	4.54		read [edit]	Dec 30, 2011 [edit]	Dec 29, 2011
	Before I Go to Sleep	Watson, S.J. *	3.81		read [edit]	Dec 29, 2011 [edit]	Dec 28, 2011
	Sybil Exposed: The Extraordinary Story Behind the Famous Multiple Personality Case	Nathan, Debbie *	3.56		read [edit]	Dec 28, 2011 [edit]	Dec 25, 2011
	The 19th Wife	Ebershoff, David *	3.57		read [edit]	Dec 16, 2011 [edit]	Dec 10, 2011
	11/22/63	King, Stephen	4.35		read [edit]	Dec 07, 2011 [edit]	Nov 26, 2011
	The Leftovers	Perrotta, Tom	3.44		read [edit]	Nov 26, 2011 [edit]	Nov 25, 2011
	The Buddha in the Attic	Otsuka, Julie	3.56		read [edit]	Nov 23, 2011 [edit]	Nov 20, 2011
	I Don't Know How She Does It: The Life of Kate Reddy, Working Mother	Pearson, Allison	3.18		read [edit]	Nov 20, 2011 [edit]	Nov 20, 2011
	Outliers: The Story of Success	Gladwell, Malcolm	3.98		read [edit]	Oct 30, 2011 [edit]	Oct 30, 2011
	The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake	Bender, Aimee *	3.13		read [edit]	Oct 24, 2011 [edit]	Oct 24, 2011
	Cutting for Stone	Verghese, Abraham	4.23		read [edit]	Sep 25, 2011 [edit]	Sep 06, 2011
	This Boy's Faith: A Memoir	Cain, Hamilton	2.91		read [edit]	Sep 25, 2011 [edit]	Sep 05, 2011
	Dead End Gene Pool	Burden, Wendy *	3.18		read [edit]	Sep 03, 2011 [edit]	Aug 27, 2011
	Then Came You	Weiner, Jennifer *	3.56		read [edit]	Aug 12, 2011 [edit]	Aug 12, 2011
	Girl in Translation	Kwok, Jean *	3.93		read [edit]	not set [edit]	May 30, 2011
	Dead Reckoning (Sookie Stackhouse, #11)	Harris, Charlaine	3.64		read [edit]	May 30, 2011 [edit]	May 30, 2011
	Olive Kitteridge	Strout, Elizabeth	3.67		read [edit]	Apr 25, 2011 [edit]	Apr 25, 2011
	Summer at Tiffany	Hart, Marjorie	3.54		read [edit]	Apr 25, 2011 [edit]	Apr 23, 2011
	The Heights	Hedges, Peter	3.24		read [edit]	not set [edit]	Apr 22, 2011
	The Help	Stockett, Kathryn *	4.45		read [edit]	Feb 25, 2011 [edit]	Feb 25, 2011