Bad Reading & (Thankfully) One Corn Dog

Since we were headed to a farm in Indiana this weekend, I grabbed a book off the ol’ To Read Pile about the Dust Bowl.  The Worst Hard Time by Timothy Egan is a real snooze fest and rather aptly named.  I realized this by page 21 when I read the line “Barbed wire was invented in 1874…” A few pages later, I challenged Andrew to a game of air hockey on the iPad.  I guess I should have known better since the cover of the book boasts “This is can’t-put-it-down history” – Walter Cronkite.

I found my time in the heartland to be anything but boring.  Unfortunately I was too busy to drop any barbed wire knowledge on anyone, what with attending wedding events and the 109^th Versailles (pronounced VER-SALES) Pumpkin Parade.  

Two Best Men Named Andrew, Ryan and a Big Ass Indiana Pumpkin.

Fortunately, 30 seconds after this photo was snapped
Andrew finds an available corn dog.

The Other Andrew wore two different black shoes, which
doesn't really come through in this photo but is worth documenting.

Awww, college buddies.  I chose this classy shot over a sweatier version
where the groom has actually been lifted over the heads of this crew.

Me & my favorite Andrew.

Humidity Poses Threat to Hair; AIDS Causes Threat to Humankind

I was very moved by My Own Country: A Doctor’s Story by Abraham Verghese.  It took me awhile to read because it was at times tough to take in – oh, and we started watching the full series of Arrested Development, the greatest show of all time, again from the beginning.  So I would transition from reading about the experiences of a doctor treating AIDS in rural Tennessee to laughing at jokes I have quoted 100 times.  That’s how I roll.

Ok, back to the book.  This was my second doctor book in a row but they couldn’t be more different, mainly because this was a true story and much more serious in nature.  Dr. Verghese wrote of his experience treating AIDS patients, often in graphic detail.  Did you know your toe can literally fall of from AIDS?  Seriously, that disease does not mess around.  I thought the book was fascinating, and now can see why it’s always on the front table at Barnes & Noble, even though it was written in 1994.  I can’t stop thinking about it, though I sort of wish I could delete the toe thing from my brain.

I also can’t stop thinking about the fact that my flight is going to be over an hour late, and somehow we have to navigate from Cincinnati to a farm in Indiana in the rain while managing not to show up looking like complete scrubs later this evening.  It’s hard to worry about both my hair in the humidity as well as the AIDS epidemic, but such is the life I lead.

Deep Thoughts From Bookworm

It just hasn't been the same since Season 1....

Trip To Indiana Causes Brief Reflection, Mostly About Making Fun of Steve

This weekend Andrew and I are headed to our college state of Indiana for a wedding of a Friend Who Hasn’t Read This Blog, Steve.  Steve was Andrew’s roommate in college, and lived in my Chicago neighborhood, so we both know him well enough to say that we never thought he’d get married.  This is a guy who tore his suit and broke both his iPhone and glasses at our wedding in a performance that his friends label as “standard.”  We are happy for Steve, and probably just as surprised as he is about the whole event.  I can’t wait to see this go down.

I didn’t do a ton of reading when I lived in Indiana due to a strenuous schedule of attending a class or two a few times a week and being the dead-worst member of an unsuccessful comedy group.  Where was I to find the time?  Nevertheless, as I head back to Indiana and reflect on my college reading days, two biggies come to mind:

• The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand is an all-time favorite, and a book that I read for some sort of ethics class that I certainly wouldn’t remember if it wasn’t for loving this book so much.  I have no idea why I chose it out of the selection of books available since it was probably 3x as long as any other option.  When it came to academia I had a minimalist attitude, but in this case devoured that big fat book in 3 days.  I believe my paper on the book started with, “So get this… I actually read this whole freakin’ book, even though it was for school.”
• She’s Come Undone and I Know This Much Is True by Wally Lamb.  Both of these books are awesome, and I think of them whenever I hear Guster’s Lost and Gone Forever album, which I played on repeat for approximately two years.  I was SO excited when his new book The Hour I First Believed came out a decade later and it was a total disappointment.  Just like Guster’s follow up albums.

Just like my time living in Indiana, I will probably read a bit on the plane but not much during my stay.  I really want to get back to my core Hoosier competencies – drinking, bad dancing, and making fun of Steve.

First (And Possibly Last) Mention of Cardamom In This Blog

Hey audience, you know what’s great to read?  In a word, blogs.

I support fellow bloggers and tend to read those written by people I know, but I’ve stumbled on a few randoms I enjoy as well.  I recently discovered a blog by Blog Follower & Co-Worker Wormfood33.  Her blog, The Dinner Club, even inspired me to cook this weekend.  A frightening prospect that went surprisingly well.

This is my first attempt at serving.
Seconds later I douse this plate with delicious sauce.

One of my favorite dishes at a local restaurant in my college town (yes, my roommates and I did a thorough ranking during our final months in Bloomington) was Butter Chicken at Shanti, an Indian restaurant. We loved to eat this dish on cold winter nights because it is the ultimate comfort food.  When I saw the rave review on The Dinner Club I knew I had to give it a try.  The recipe looked pretty easy and had a lot less butter than you’d guess by the name.  Don’t worry, the high quantity of cream made up for it.

The result was Sunday night success, and a very happy husband who had two (large, but I am not judging) helpings.  If I make it 100 more times, I think the investment in Cardamom will even out.

New Season, New Sports Teams to Mock

I just finished an adorable little book called An Irish Country Doctor by Patrick Taylor.  This book was recommended to me by Amazon.com which is now 2/2 on book recommendations and close to becoming one of my closest book friends.  That is not sad, that is just good happy computer science.

I decided to take Amazon’s advice on this one because I love Maeve Binchy books and assume that all Irish authors know each other.  Is that racist?  I don’t think so.  Unless Amazon and I start making fun of the Irish over beers, which we’d never do since we are always discussing award winning literature.  Nevertheless, the book did remind me a bit of a simplified Binchy story.  It had a few of the same tenets, including a whoopsie pregnancy – always pivotal in her novels – and very clear cut good guys versus crummy guys.  

Read this book, but don’t make fun of the Irish.  Unless you are talking about Notre Dame and their dorky throwback helmets with the shamrock – those Irish are fair game.

Clearly Not Up To Usual Bookworm Tricks

I finally saw The Help this weekend with faithful friend and Blog Mocker Erin.  This is a fantastic movie, and is already an all-time favorite.  The movie follows a couple of key rules for making a great film:

1. Find a good book.

2.  Don’t screw it up.

Granted, this is not the only way to make a fabulous movie – Juno is a perfect example of an awesome movie that was not a book first.  Some brilliant screenplay writer came up with naming a dog Bananas, and combining that style of writing genius with a killer soundtrack. Bravo, Juno team.

But I digress.  One of my favorite things about The Help is that it is not only a wonderful story, but is also a consistent catalyst for me to take cheap shots at Blog Follower and Terrible But Actually Improving Reader Lane.  However instead of playing my usual tricks, I am going to admit that Lane was right to make her first novel since college this great story, and reading it in time for the movie was a smart move.  Clearly an afternoon of interchangeably laughing and crying during the movie has scrambled my brain.

Model Employee Promises Questionable Fashion Choices

As an international businesswoman, I think I proved my responsibility best when I lost my wallet while on production in Prague.  There is some debate internally about how this actually went down, but all agree that the dance floor of a gay boat bar docked on the Vltava River played an essential role.  Take it from me, you do NOT want to see what this place looks like in the morning.  Let’s just say I was grateful that they ran out of ice and that I selected to drink room temperature Pilsner Urquell.

The scenario outlined above resulted in me enjoying (a term used in the most sarcastic sense possible) some morning reading time at the DMV while getting a replacement license.

There is nowhere on the planet where you need a book more than the DMV – this includes airports/airplanes, beach vacations, grey hair tackling at the salon, etc.  Interestingly, there is never anyone else reading a book while they sit in the worst waiting environment of all time.  Most people prefer to look at their phones or stare into space.  Luckily I had a good book so after an hour of waiting and then having a mug shot-type photo taken, I was out the door $10 lighter. 

The next time I find myself on a boat bar in Eastern Europe, I will be sporting my fanny pack that actually sits beneath the waist line of my jeans, and I’d prefer to hear no comments about that choice.

Boy do I feel confident that all of my money and identification documents are right here with me.
And what a delicious room temperature canned beer they serve at this establishment!

Absolute Worst Parenting Ever Is Documented & Used As In-Flight Entertainment

I finished Shot in the Heart by Mikal Gilmore right as I was pulling into the Richmond airport.  A book blogger couldn’t have timed it more perfectly.  I thoroughly enjoyed this memoir, which I read the bulk of while waving away offers of champagne in Business Class back from Prague. (Ok in reality I drank one Mimosa and then accepted all offers of bottled water.  Bookworms need to stay hydrated at 30,000 feet.)

Parenthood sure doesn’t look easy, as I witnessed Andrew’s cousins doing the Elmo Slide for the 3,000^th time in the Outer Banks this summer (a song that I had in my head for a solid week afterward.  That tune is catchy!)  But Gilmore’s parents pretty much couldn’t have done a worse job.  Hence, they raised a murderer who single handedly brought back the death penalty to the US in 1977.  The book was a steady stream of Oh-Crap-Don’t-Do-That type parenting tips.  They really screwed their four boys up royally.  Needless to say it added up to a heartbreaking but fascinating story, though not as inspiring as my favorite Crap Parenting Memoir, The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls.

Now that I am back to my real life, my biggest and least favorite reading task awaits – the mail.  I will do my audience a favor and not blog about the exciting Walgreens Rewards Offers in this most special reading pile.

Bookworm Needs to Keep Closer Eye on News

After a record breaking (for Prague) 6.5 hours of sleep, today I am on set for our final day of shooting.  Since it is Saturday, fewer emails are pouring in allowing time to read the trashy magazines that are always a set staple.  Between that and a concerted effort not to drink liquids and therefore avoid a reportedly terrifying bathroom experience I have a packed agenda today.

I don’t read a lot of magazines, but thumbing through the UK’s Cosmopolitan I particularly enjoyed their monthly feature “Hot Men & Cute Pets.”  It’s been awhile since I read Cosmo but I am relieved to know they are still reporting on the issues that matter. 

I miss my Man & Pet. 
Suddenly regretting I didn't make Andrew flex for this picture.

Sleep Deprived Blogger Takes Some Liberties With This One

One thing I’ll note about shooting commercials is that it always sounds about a thousand times more glamorous than it really is.  I am on Day 8 in Prague, and that is certainly the case.  I haven’t had more than 5 hours of sleep a night since I got here, and I consider myself a Sleep Enthusiast.

Last night I finished my last meeting at 11 pm and knew I had to be in the lobby by 6 am.  A logical choice would be to get a few hours of much needed shut eye, but this braniac hasn’t really adapted to the time change.  So instead I had one drink with the team to wind down before bed – for some reason we all had Hemingways.

I have no idea why a Hemingway was selected in an Asian-Fusion hotel bar in Eastern Europe, but it was delicious and narrowly fits into this book-themed blog.  I even Googled the recipe for my Surprisingly Attentive August Audience:

2 oz white rum

1/4 oz maraschino liqueur

juice of 1/2 limes

1 oz grapefruit juice

Squeeze lime juice into a shaker, add remaining ingredients and shake briefly with a glassful of crushed ice. Serve in a frosted cocktail glass.