Graves!

This article from the SF Chronicle is my kind of thing. Wyatt Earp is buried here in a Jewish cemetery?! Charlie Brown music guy Vince Guaraldi is in Colma in the same cemetery as Joe DiMaggio!? My husband said, "Now you have something to do with the boys for the next 3 weeks." I think 1st Brother may actually like visiting. Maybe we'll try one.

Pioneers

I'm always inspired by the people who helped settle the western U.S., especially the Mormon Pioneers, whose entry into the Salt Lake Valley in 1847 is celebrated today. (The link is good stuff. It's a very interesting story whether you're a member of the church or not).

Sometimes I think of them mocking me, especially the women, when I'm grumpy about something. "Oh Jennie, that must be SO hard not to have a dishwasher! And getting the kids ready for church with your husband in meetings, oh my! And you poor thing, living through San Francisco's cold and windy summers year after year!" etc. That can help snap me out of it sometimes.

Two years ago:

Bribe Fulfilled

1st Brother did a great job at the dentist a couple weeks ago with the promise of a play date at a McDonalds with a playground. (Our first attempt at the dentist about a year ago resulted in the loudest, most terrified fit I've ever seen from my guy). Yesterday I paid up, and there was swimming involved too as a bonus! Thanks, East Bay friends!

Sony reader

For our 9th anniversary in May, my husband surprised me with a Sony Reader Pocket Edition. Though flattered by his thoughtfulness, I was torn. I felt like a traitor supporting sterile electronic books that could eventually shut down the libraries and book stores I love. In general I'm a little anti-technology for a person my age, especially for one who was an information systems major in college. I don't have or want a smart phone or a Facebook account, I don't follow anyone on Twitter, and spending lots of time online often makes me feel anxious and grumpy. (And yes, I'm aware of the irony of proclaiming that I'm anti-techology via my blog). Anyway, I've now read 3 books on it, and while I'm still a bit conflicted, I do like it. Here are a few of my thoughts:

Pros:

-Can hold lots of material--many books, magazines, scriptures, etc. It would be great for a long trip or for those who read several books at a time

-I felt like I finished the books faster. Pages are usually broken down into smaller chunks that seem very manageable and easy to read. You can zoom to make the font and pages the size you want

-It's lightweight and physically easier to hold. My husband pointed out it'd be great for nursing moms as you can do everything with one hand

-You can download your book right away and don't have to go out to get it (part of me wants to put this on the Cons list)

-It's easy to use and doesn't hurt your eyes; it was even clear in bright sunlight

Cons:

-Many libraries offer free e-books but the selection is limited (see http://www.overdrive.com/). It will probably get better, but I'm not about to start an e-book-buying habit when I can still check out real books for free

-Another gadget to charge and download stuff to (the battery does stay charged for a really long time though, for weeks at a time)

-It's a bigger deal if you drop it in the bath tub, leave it behind somewhere, etc.

P.S. I belong to a fabulous monthly book club that has its own blog at secretlybookish.blogspot.com if you need recommendations or want to join.

Magic Eraser Indeed

It took some muscle, but my old, never-looks-clean bathtub is much improved after some eraser treatment. I keep wandering into the bathroom to admire it. The eraser also got tar off the laminate flooring of our building's elevator recently. Even though the texture of the dry eraser is disturbing in a nails-on-the-chalkboard kind of way, I bow to it.