BDU

(Big Dominic Update)

November and December have been crazy months so far, and unfortunately my blogging has suffered. As has my reading for that matter, but I am tempted to blame it on the book I am reading currently (it didn't grab me as quickly as the last one. OH the never ending struggles with sequels this year....)

Dominic did do well overnight after his cath in Edmonton and we did end up driving home on Friday. Roland and I had discussed exactly what our plan was depending on Dominic's discharge time. We decided that if Dominic got discharged prior to 2:00pm, then we would drive home that day (whatever day "that" may be), because we would be able to pack up and get out of town by 3:00pm and thus, be home by 9:00pm Saskatoon time. The Cath doctor had told us the evening before that Dom seemed to be doing well, and it was procedure to do an ECHO and a chest xray before discharge after a cath, so that was expected for first thing in the morning so that we could get discharged and free up a bed for someone else. Bright and early a porter showed up to escort us for Xrays and it seemed like a good sign. Things moving along so fast. After we got back from the Xrays, the Cath doctor came in and said he had seen the chest xrays and they looked good, and asked if we had gotten the ECHO yet. When I said we hadn't he asked us to inform our nurse to page him as soon as we're back from it, he will look at it ASAP and get us out of here. Then we waited, and waited, and waited for this ECHO. Just before lunch they finally called us. Dom wasn't exactly perfectly cooperative, but we were back on the unit by 12:30 and lunch made him far happier. We told our nurse that the doc wanted to be paged when the ECHO was done, and then we waited some more. Roland was with us in the room by then and we really wanted to know what the deal was, because I thought it would be quick once the ECHO was done, but nothing seemed to be happening. At about 1:15, we talked to the nurse about it and she said that any discharges need to go through the discharge nurse and that could take a while. A few hours depending on how busy she was. Roland and I groaned, and then made a plan to stay another night in Edmonton. At about 1:30pm, just as I was putting on my jacket to go back to the hotel for a shower (I felt stinky from not showering the night before and being in the hospital so long), the nurse came in with all of our papers for discharge. A few signatures here and there, a confirmation that we understood his discharge instructions, and we were outta there! It ended up being pretty tight, but we were just happy to get home. Rosalie waited up to see us, and I cuddled her to sleep that night.

Recovery at home went just as smoothly, no issues whatsoever. Dominic saw Cardiology earlier this week and they are very impressed with how much this cath helped out his heart and so he is finally cleared for his next procedure: His cleft palate repair!

I have made a point of being very communicative with Plastics about where we are after the whole snafu back in September, so the Monday after we got back from Edmonton, I called first thing in the morning to let them know that he had the cath and that the doctors said everything went well. The receptionist told me that they were just talking about him and had "penciled him in for January 5th" but needed a clear confirmation from cardiology that he was in the clear first. I was happy to hear that they had a date for him, but also a bit disappointed. I know that having too many procedures close together isn't really a good idea, but I wanted his palate to be repaired sooner than January. This has been such a long time coming that I was hoping for sooner, but at the same time I didn't want it interrupting Xmas either... So, it's fine. I should really stop whining. It's fine. And Dom was indeed deemed all clear by cardiology this week, so I got a call from Plastics today stating that everything is a go! The dentist that is involved in the procedure is only available first thing in the morning, so we already know he'll be first case, and that's how I prefer it. Fasting a baby before a surgery is always easier when they are asleep for most of it, and then if the surgery happens before he would normally eat anyway, that's even better. Being first case ensures this. We have been fortunate so far that each and every one of his procedures have been first case. The only negative is that we have to get up so early (to the hospital by 5:30 in Edmonton, 6:30 in Saskatoon, surgery at 8:00 or 9:00 respectively), but I sleep like crap the night before anyway, better to get it out of the way first thing.

SO I think y'all are all caught up now!

Although I am far from it. I am still 3 book reviews behind, I want to talk about my return to work (NOT at the jail, mind you...), and the never ending shenanigans with EI... but I'll get there. Baby steps. Soon enough. Sorry for the delay. I'll try to do better...

Edmonton Trip #4

Sorry for the lack of updates this trip to Edmonton. I've had some technical difficulties with my own computer and thus it is in the shop and not with me on this trip. I hate blogging on my phone, so further thus, fewer updates.

Dom had his cath today and everything went fine. As long as his recovery goes as expected, he should be discharged tomorrow and depending on what time that happens it will determine whether we head home tomorrow or Saturday.

At one point I was a bit concerned that our trip to Edmonton was going to be all in vain. I found that Dominic has been extra drooly and irritable since we arrived. I thought it may be an on coming cold, as told the doctors as much during our preadmission clinic when they asked how he was feeling. The Anesthesiologist said that if it does have a cold it's enough reason to postpone his mri and cath. So if it got any worse he said don't bother showing up in the morning and just drive home because the procedure wouldn't be happening. But I wasn't even sure it was a cold! Dominic's anatomy is a bit complicated, so when he has a cold his nose drool doesn't stay in his nose because of his cleft, he just gets more mouth drooly. BUT the excess drool could have just as easily been from teething. And the irritability could very easily been because of the travelling and having his routine completely thrown up in the air. But when the doctors ask questions, I'm inclined to be honest. After the whole rigamarole, I wished I hadn't said anything. It just made everyone today ask if he was "feeling better", so the quick response was just "yes", although he technically probably wasn't sick in the first place. But all went ahead as scheduled anyway, so I don't really have a reason to complain.

We're currently adjusting to the overnight in hospital. I'm ready to rip all of these lines out of him. I'm not used to cuddling with hardware anymore, and as far as Dom is concerned they are new teething toys.

Anywhoo, with any luck we'll be home tomorrow! Wish us luck!

Remembrance Day 2015

I had mentioned about our Remembrance Day traditions a few years back, and apparently not since. I swore I posted about it more than once, but looking into past blog years, proved me wrong. I think we may have skipped last year because we were between trips to Edmonton with Dominic and were working more on getting sleep than worrying about which movie to represent our Remembrance Day.

If you are curious as to why we started this tradition in our home, HERE is the inital (and only!) post I made about it.

This year we decided to watch American Sniper. It was actually released on Remembrance Day/Veteran's Day last year.

As much as I still dislike war movies, this one served the purpose well this year. At times when the actual war was on, occassionally I didn't watch, but there was a lot about PTSD afterward that I really appreciated and this was an issue we had yet to deal with in any of our Remembrance Day movie choices. I was worried it would get a bit American Propaganda-ish, but I didn't feel it did. This could have been anyone from any country going through these issues, seeing these horrors. This isn't a specifically American topic.

It was good (in the war movie respects of being "good"), it deserved a lot of the hype and accolades.


I think next year I will pitch Hyena Road. I think it's out in theatres right now, but it'll be better to watch it at home next year. Get back to some good Canadian Content.

Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children

A mysterious island.??
 
An abandoned orphanage.??
 
A strange collection of very curious photographs.??
 
It all waits to be discovered in Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, an unforgettable novel that mixes fiction and photography in a thrilling reading experience. As our story opens, a horrific family tragedy sets sixteen-year-old Jacob journeying to a remote island off the coast of Wales, where he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children. As Jacob explores its abandoned bedrooms and hallways, it becomes clear that the children were more than just peculiar. They may have been dangerous. They may have been quarantined on a deserted island for good reason. And somehow--impossible though it seems--they may still be alive?? A spine-tingling fantasy illustrated with haunting vintage photography, Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children will delight adults, teens, and anyone who relishes an adventure in the shadows.


Lately I have really be reading as an escape so I apologize if the next few reviews feel a bit flippant. This book, for example, I finished reading almost a month ago, so I am completely going off notes and a smidge of memory (yes. I do take notes while I read, especially if a strong thought hits me. I don't want to forget to mention it!)

This book got just an "it's fine" rating of 3 stars on my goodreads account. And that's all it really is. Just fine. I wasn't thrilled with it. It often wasn't my primary choice of entertainment (Netflix won more often), but there wasn't much really wrong with it. 

It was really interesting to read a book with pictures in it! I don't even remember the last time I read fiction that was accompanied by any sort of visual image, whether it be photographs or illustrations. I sort of felt like they were a bit redundant at times, often I would be reading along and all of a sudden the next page is a picture. I found that Riggs's writing was good enough that I didn't really need the picture, his literary descriptions were good enough for me, but perhaps he wasn't confident enough in his own writing? Or maybe this was the thing that he tried to do to make his book different from others?

I found that I got bored with it really early. It seemed like a lot of the devices in this novel had been done before. The time travel element reminded me of Tom's Midnight Garden, the Home for Peculiar Children was kinda similar to Professor X's School for Gifted Children, often times I was reminded of Harry Potter... I didn't feel that this story came up with anything new enough to "wow" me and get me in the "reading zone". Riggs needs to come up with something new (because the pictures really didn't do it for me), and perhaps he has in the sequels to this novel, but I'll probably never know because I don't intend on reading them.

Normally I don't care this way or that what a novel is classified as, but while reading I was really unsure of whether this book was intended for Young Adults/Teens or Adults. The main character and  writing style would suggest it's a Teen novel, but the profanity suggests otherwise. So since, Riggs didn't seem to know who he was aiming this book at, I won't try to pin down a demographic either. But personally, for most people, I would recommend just passing on this one.

Shenanigans

It has been one crazy month since my last post about plans with Dominic. Everything is set up to go in Edmonton, but it hasn't been without a few bumps and bruises along the way.

Although the primary reason for Dominic to go to Edmonton is the Cardiac Cath, there is still that pesky little MRI that we went for at the end of August, but got nixed because he's a complicated little guy. So we sent a request to get it done there as well. About a week after getting our schedule (Pre-op on the 17th, cath on the 18th), I got a call from the MRI department in Edmonton saying they wanted to do the MRI on the 17th, so we need to come a day earlier. I asked if the cath would be done a day earlier as well and I was told "we don't do Cardiac Caths and MRIs on the same day" I informed her that the entire reason we requested an MRI was so that it could be coupled with the Cath and prevent him from being put under more than once. I told her if that was the case, to just cancel the MRI because I am not willing to have him put out twice. She said she would talk to our Cardiologist and get back to me. Got a call a day or two later saying that we are now going for preop on the 18th and the Cath AND MRI on the 19th. So everything was bumped back a day. At least I put my foot down this time. But now everything seems like it's ticky-boo so we will be heading to Edmonton in a couple weeks!

At the end of last week, Dom's cardiologist called to say that the powers that be have decided that Dom needs a CT Scan done in Saskatoon prior to going to Edmonton, so they got us booked in the following Wednesday (as in yesterday). The plan was that since CTs are such short procedures, but Dom needs to be still for it, we would try to get him to fall asleep on his own in order to avoid having to put him under anesthetic. To be honest, I was not all that optomistic that this would work. Dominic is currently transitioning from two naps to only one each day. If he gets too tired in the morning, he might nap around noon, and then have another nap right before supper (that I generally have to wake him up from so that it doesn't disrupt bedtime). The other scenario is that he skips the morning nap and then conks out around 1:00ish. And this is what the whole team was counting on. I had to keep him awake until they were ready for the CT and then feed him, get him to relax, and fall asleep. Anyone that has children knows that this is generally not how they work. If you have plans for naptime, there is NO WAY they are going to help you out with that. I was sure Dom was going to fall asleep early, or refuse to sleep and just be cranky, but he was my perfect little man (that he tends to be in public, not always at home), and did exactly what everyone was hoping he would do.

Sleepin' while gettin' scanned...

We are now one step closer to this whole rigmarole being over.

~*~

As many of you may know, Brayden started highschool this year at my old stomping grounds. Brayden has stuggled in school ever since he came to live with us, and since we moved him to Lakeview from his old elementary school we really have tried to drive home how important school is, but it always seems to be in vain. All last year I was telling him I had no intention of emailing all of his teachers all of the time (like I did when he was in grade 8) to check on him and see what was due and how he was doing, and that he needed to learn how to stand on his own two feet. I wouldn't be there to bust his butt to get in gear forever, so he might as well learn now. So at the beginning of this school year I washed my hands of his school-work babysitting. Aside from asking if he had homework when he got home, I didn't press him on anything. I generally got a "nope, finished it all in class". I figured if he was anything like me, he would be scared of failing in highschool and work a bit harder.

In the middle of last month, we had Progress Conferences. We had a bit of a childcare issue, so I went by myself and Roland stayed home with the kids. When I arrived I noticed a lot of students accompanying their parents, but I had not brought Brayden with me. I know that kids should feel involved in these types of things, but I also notice that it's sometimes hard to get a clear picture of how things are going if teachers feel the need to sugarcoat everything in order to not hurt the student's feelings or whatever. We had been asking Brayden what he expected his teachers to say to us at Parent Teacher Interviews, but he always just said "good stuff" and nothing else. So... although it was not entirely unexpected, it was a pretty big shock to see just how far behind Brayden was. We are talking 3 out of 4 assignments in ELA/SS were incomplete or missing, and he was lagging in Math where often he chooses to sit around and do nothing instead of trying to get work done. He was doing fine in Phys Ed though, where it's pretty tough to not participate...

SO basically, I gave him enough rope to hang himself with, and he did indeed commit educational suicide. At least it wasn't homicide. His teachers say that he is not disruptive, he just lacks commitment to his own work.

We've tried telling him that not completing highschool limits his options severely on what he plans to do with his life as an adult. We've told him that he will lose his ONLY elective (Technology) if he fails any classes this term. We've pointed out that school is like a job, and if his boss (likened to his teachers) tells him to do something and he doesn't want to do, and he doesn't do it, that is a pretty legitimate reason to get fired. How will he survive in the real world if he doesn't learn to do things that he doesn't like to do? It ALL falls on deaf ears. I am pretty sure he will lose his only elective and it will make school awful for him, but how can we let him participate in fun classes if he can't complete the compulsory ones?

~*~

And then there's Rosalie. My little sweet pea that doesn't really cause me any grief (but will probably pay me back for that statement when she's a teenager)

Rosalie is LOVING preschool and often counts down sleeps until she gets to go again. She jabbers on about her day and what they got to do all the way home in the car. She likes her teacher, although she says she gets "grumpy with me" sometimes. My guess is that she sternly tries to keep Rosalie doing what she is supposed to be doing and staying on task, because this was a big issue with Rosalie's swim lessons the last two terms. When Rosalie likes an activity, she does it however she wants and doesn't really listen to instruction... until we break out the big guns and threaten to take things away from her. She has this great swim instructor this term (Dominic and I had him for Starfish last term), but for the first 3 classes she would just take off on him, and not listen to him at all. I tried just talking to her about it, reminding her before class to listen, but it was always the same. Then I threatened to take away her after swimming treats (a bag of cheesies and an orange juice) if she didn't listen to her instructor, and if she was REALLY bad (like she had been) we wouldn't get new library books (although I REALLY didn't want to take that away from her). But it was enough. We haven't had a problem with her since. But that was also in a scenario where I was sitting at the edge of the pool watching her and reminding her to listen with hand signals if she started to get off track. In preschool, I am not there. So if she misbehaves, I don't know about it unless the teacher tells me. And I haven't gotten any phone calls at home or spoken to when I go to pick her up... so until then, I'm going to assume she's doing just fine.

She is very insistent that when she goes to school she gets two pigtails, but when she goes to swimming she gets one ponytail. She has cute little quirks like that. She likes things just so.

I have a feeling she knows that she's super cute and uses it against us. She's got the doe eyes all figured out, and uses it on Daddy regularly.

She's got pretty eclectic tastes in pretty much everything, TV shows, movies, music, toys, so she isn't stuck to anything in particular. She changes her mind about things all the time, and she's not predictable at all.

SO basically, what I'm saying here, is that I have a Toddler ;)

~*~

And that is a long enough update about the kids on their own! I was going to write about me too, but that'll have to be a different post. (and I now have 3 book reviews to finish up on) So stay tuned! More to come! :)

A Fortunate Granddaughter

Grandparents are some of the greatest gifts we are ever given. They have so much life experience to offer us and can love us differently than parents can. They can spoil us rotten and hand us back when we have tantrums. Grandparents are a blessing. I have seen that with my own grandparents and the grandparents of my children.

I have been so extremely fortunate to have one set of grandparents live into their 90s, and be pretty healthy to boot. But one thing about aging grandparents is that you know their time is coming relatively soon. They can't live forever, they start to slow down, start having trouble doing things that used to be part of their regular routine, they tip that point of not just being old, but being old old.

My last surviving Grandpa passed away on October 6th, and he was 94. To be honest, I had been expecting one day to just get a phone call saying he was gone and that was that, but he spent a couple days being sick and I was fortunate enough to go see him one last time. It wasn't the greatest visit, he was mostly sleeping and although I know he knows I was there, it wasn't like we had a big conversation. But I got to tell him I loved him and he was awake enough to acknowledge that he heard me, and that was the greatest gift he could give me at that time.

In a lot of ways we were very fortunate how his passing came about. He lived a very full NINETY FOUR years, and a lot can be said with just that. He gave lots of us a little bit of time to see him, and I know that is something that lots of families don't get. Anyone can die at any time without warning, so I am thankful for our little warning. He also didn't seem to be in a great deal of pain, and he died in his sleep. Many of us wish to go so peacefully. We got a chance to go see him the morning after he passed before he was shipped off to the funeral home, and he just looked like he was sleeping. Like he could have taken a breath at any moment. He got to pass away where he was living rather than in an unfamiliar hospital bed, I think he would have appreciated that.

Even with all of the great things I can say about my grandpas life and also his passing, I am still mourning (Thus the "reason I'm not in the mood to write blog posts" that was addressed last post. The last thing I wrote, like really thought about wrote, was his Obituary. I wasn't ready to let go of that yet). I miss him. I still have regrets. I should have been going to see him more often. I am 32 years old and still had my 94 year old grandpa. I should have been over there whenever I could. I knew this day was coming and still procrastinated waiting for a better day for me to go. One that was more convenient. I still think about him every day.

I was lucky to have him for 32+ years. I will fondly remember all of the time we had together. And I vow to make a greater effort to visit my last remaining grandparent more often, because who knows how long I will have her, and I hope to avoid the regrets I am feeling now over my grandpa.

Grandpa kisses from me. Back in our younger days.

Love you Grandpa. Hope you liked the Obit I wrote for you...

Really Behind...

Generally I don't go this long without updating the blog, so I'm sorry for the delay. It's been two weeks since I posted anything, and to be honest, I haven't been in a writing mood at all lately and there are a few reasons for that (that'll be the next post), I've do have a bit of a ranty, family update post and a couple of book reviews coming. I just can't do it right now. Soon, but not yet. But when I do, you'll probably get a big flurry of them in a short period of time.

So... just stay tuned.

P.S. Sorry for the mostly pointless post, felt I should post something, to let people know that I am not dead and that I do plan on posting again.

Murphy's Law is a Bitch Sometimes

 Of course, right after I post a whiny blog entry about how everything takes forever things start to get going.

I recieved a call from the Stollery with the dates for Dom's cardiac cath procedure. November 18. Pre admission on the 17th.

This is a bit later than I would like, I'm figuring that this will bump Dom's palate surgery to December, and then I worry about Xmas, but it'll do. It's not really that far off, and there are no major events scheduled for that week otherwise. So... It's fine.

Looking forward to when it's done.

Waiting.... and Waiting.... and Waiting...

I expected September and October to be more hectic than they have been, and I'm a bit disappointed that it hasn't been busy.

After talking to the cardiologist last month, I figured it would be a week or two until we got dates for Dom's cath, but we are closing in on a month without hearing any plans about going to Edmonton. When I talked to Dom's cardiologist on September 8th, I had mentioned to her that Plastics were on the go-ahead with his palate surgery, so that they would need to be notified that it was on hold because of the new developments with Dom's heart, and she said she would let them know that his cath needed to be done first. That didn't happen though, and it became apparent when Dom's plastic surgeon's office called to give us dates for his palate procedure. :/  They had him all booked in to go for his palate surgery and MRI on September 24th, and I got the joyous job of telling them that all of the work and scheduling they had put it was for naught, because cardiology had put a halt on everything. At least now I know to do all this stuff myself. Don't leave it to doctors. It won't get done unless it is directly effecting them.

After telling the plastic surgeon's office to cancel everything, I got a bit worried, what if I misunderstood and I just cancelled everything that could have been done so soon? So I called cardiology to verify that I was SUPPOSED to cancel, the palate procedure, and the did confirm that I was. I then asked about timelines for Edmonton only to be told that the cardiologist I had previously spoken to was now off for a week and nothing would be booked until she was back. I planned to be the squeaky wheel when she got back, but never thought of calling while the office was open. So this week I called and started my squeaky wheel approach. Right now, it sounds like October isn't looking good for Edmonton, and November is looking far more likely. I got my word in about how this is delaying Dom's other surgery, and they said they would do their best to make it work as soon as they can. I'm hoping they are being pessimistic.

But for now we just wait and wait and wait...

Still Alice

Alice Howland, happily married with three grown children and a house on the Cape, is a celebrated Harvard professor at the height of her career when she notices a forgetfulness creeping into her life. As confusion starts to cloud her thinking and her memory begins to fail her, she receives a devastating diagnosis: early onset Alzheimer's disease. Fiercely independent, Alice struggles to maintain her lifestyle and live in the moment, even as her sense of self is being stripped away. In turns heartbreaking, inspiring and terrifying, Still Alice captures in remarkable detail what's it's like to literally lose your mind...


I really didn't have any interest in this novel until the movie was nominated for a bunch of Academy Awards. It was popular when I was working at the bookstores and my book snobbishness got in the way. I didn't get a chance to read it before the Oscars, but when the film popped up on Netflix, I figured there was no time like the present!

This is a really brilliant novel that gets into your head. The complexities of a neurological disorder like Alzheimer's can make an audience feel disassociated, but Genova does a great job of showing how people with Alzheimer's can be completely lucid at some points and lost in the next. To be honest, at many points while reading what Alice was going through, I questioned whether I have early-onset Alzheimer's myself. And I really think that's Genova's point: it can happen to anyone. It's not one of those things that if you stop using it, you lose it. You can do brain teasers and read every day, but if Alzheimer's is in your genes, you're going to get it regardless. Might be when you're 40, or it could be when you're 90. There is no way to tell.

One of the other elements captured by this novel is how difficult it is on her family. I think the earlier signs of Alzheimer's are more difficult for the person going through it, the frustrations of not having any control. Whereas the later more drastic forms of it are tougher on family, at some point the person with Alzheimer's becomes somewhat complacent with their constant state of confusion, but watching a loved one deteriorate like that can be devastating. I was reminded of this video on YouTube that I think someone posted on facebook a while back of a Daughter with her Mom that has Alzheimers. It's a very sweet video of one of the few lucid moments that mean so much. It's amazing that the daughter caught it on camera. That is a moment to treasure forever and watch over and over.

Little Bee

We don’t want to tell you what happens in this book.

It is a truly special story and we don’t want to spoil it.

Nevertheless, you will need to know enough to buy it, so we will just say this:

This is the story of two women. Their lives collide one fateful day, and one of them has to make a terrible choice, the kind of choice we hope you never have to face. Two years later, they meet again—the story starts there….

Once you have read it, you’ll want to tell your friends about it. When you do, please don’t tell them what happens. The magic is in how the story unfolds.

I can't remember where or how I heard of this book, all I remember was I was excited to read it from the moment I heard of it. However, I did not expect much of what happened from whatever I had read  that made me take interest. This is probably one of those books I will think about for a long time.

A word of warning that this book is not for the faint of heart. There are some pretty hefty issues and horrific experiences that are dealt with in this novel, and some of the blatant graphic violence is tough to handle. It's not gratuitous in any way shape or form, it is absolutely necessary for the story, but that doesn't make it any easier to swallow.

One of the things I found interesting about the story is that the two women have quite the age gap, yet are at a similar same stage in life in many ways. The story seems to catch these women at the toughest part of their lives thus far, but under very different circumstances. The woman born and bred in the UK is at her toughest stage when she is married, started a family, and is trying to balance her career as well, whereas a teen girl from a war torn country is having to flee, and it's her toughest stage in life because who knows if she will live past her teens. Very interesting commentary on what 1st world and 3rd world problems really are.

I'm not sure of Cleave's exact background, but I wonder if he is a journalist or what his perspectives are on journalism and journalists. I got the distinct impression that he feels that journalism can solve all world problems, like, if someone gets the story out into the public eye, all of a sudden all world problems will go away. OR does he just feel that that's what journalists think will happen, and that's what keeps them doing what they are doing? By the end of the novel I felt I was being preached at or fed propaganda that really annoyed me. It felt like "look at us! Journalism can save lives! Just call us the doctors of the written world!" was the message I was being given. However in my experience, I find that many news outlets don't really care about the truth or saving lives, it's all about what will sell and what people want to hear. Don't know what actually happened? Just make something up to get everyone's attention and we'll just correct ourselves later... unless it becomes less interesting, then we'll just drop it all together....

If you choose to read this one, just be prepared for what you are getting in to.

Book Swap!!

I went to my first Book Swap today!!

I've always been a bit skeptical of Book Swaps. I was invited last year, but didn't get to go because Dominic was still in the hospital. And I'm not sure if I would have gone anyway. As a self proclaimed book snob, I was never sure if it would be heaven or hell. I was more leaning towards hell, but today I was pleasantly surprised. I expected broken spines and dogearred pages, but I think the majority of the books that were there wouldn't have looked out of place on my bookshelf. 

I really came out better than I went in. I gave a copy of a book I was disappointed by and didn't feel I needed a hardcover copy of (Go Set a Watchman) and came out with a copy of a book I had already read and loved that was still in acceptable condition (Life After Life, I borrowed the ebook from the library). I felt a little bit guilty about taking a book I disliked, but I figured someone else may be interested, and if they don't have to actually pay for it, all the better. I figure the person that took it won't like it, but at least they won't be dropping any money on it. 

Cheryl and Craig really did a great job of setting everything up and there was a MASSIVE amount of books there. I brought a couple and figured it would be a "bring two in, take two out" kinda thing, but there was so much there it was "bring whatever you want, and take whatever you want" thing instead. So not only did I get a book to add to my bookshelf, I also got a couple placed in my hands by good friends with their high recommendations and a whole bunch of new books for Rosalie (who accompanied me today, and immediately wanted to leave when we got there, but once we started picking out books to take home, she didn't want to go. That's my girl!). Any books that didn't get picked up by one of the guests get donated to the Saskatoon Symphony Book Sale. So it's going to a good cause. 

Fun day! Got to see some bookstore friends that I don't see often, which is always a bonus, and I'm looking forward to next year!

The Martian

Six days ago, astronaut Mark Watney became one of the first people to walk on Mars. Now, he's sure he'll be the first person to die there. After a dust storm nearly kills him & forces his crew to evacuate while thinking him dead, Mark finds himself stranded & completely alone with no way to even signal Earth that he’s alive—& even if he could get word out, his supplies would be gone long before a rescue could arrive. Chances are, though, he won't have time to starve to death. The damaged machinery, unforgiving environment or plain-old "human error" are much more likely to kill him first. But Mark isn't ready to give up yet. Drawing on his ingenuity, his engineering skills—& a relentless, dogged refusal to quit—he steadfastly confronts one seemingly insurmountable obstacle after the next. Will his resourcefulness be enough to overcome the impossible odds against him?


FINALLY! Something to rave about! I was right to take a break from sequels, I think.

Honestly, I started talking up this book to people before I even finished reading it. It's one of those books that you don't really know what the outcome is going to be, but almost no matter what happens, so much good story has gone into the work that there are several outcomes that would be acceptable. As long as they don't pull the Alice in Wonderland ending ("it turned out to all be a dream!"), it'll be good. And it was. It really was a good ending.

Very much of this book is written from the perspective of Mark in a personal log type format. Although it reads like a well written blog, I still liked it. I am pretty sure that if someone were actually working for NASA, formatting and formality would be pretty important, so realistically, it wouldn't have been written the way that it was in this book. However, I still approve as a character development device. The reader finds out in short order the type of person Mark is, you get a feel for his voice and character through his logs. I can see how some people would interpret it as juvenile, inexperienced, or perhaps even poor writing, but I really feel it enhanced Mark's character. It may have been a device, but it definitely worked for me.

I also think that style of writing got me very socially and emotionally invested extremely quickly. I think probably within the first 30 pages I was really feeling for this guy, and not long after I was grinning like an idiot and wanted to cheer when things went well for him, and I felt my heart sink when things didn't go his way. I think this is one of the reasons I loved this book so much. I was SO invested. I was "in" to it so quick. Such a great feeling. Also it made me read it far quicker than I should have (who really needs sleep?)

Before starting this book, I was aware that the movie was coming out next month, and I made a point of not watching the trailer. All I knew about it was that Matt Damon was going to be Mark, and I only knew that because of the poster. Midway through reading (and loving) the book I decided I wanted to make sure that pictures of the characters in my brain were lining up with who was cast in the movie. It's one of those little things that can really just kill a movie for me, so a little preparation can go a long way in saving the movie for myself. It was impressive how close the casting was to who was in my brain. For example, Commander Lewis in my brain was Joan Allen, but Jessica Chastain is cast. Now, to me, it seems that Chastain is just a younger Allen, so that was pretty much perfect. For the NASA Public relations director, Annie Montose, I had (not me! You'd think sharing the same first name would make me picture myself, I think often this is true, but not this time, I'm not nearly that awesome) the woman that played Fig in Orange is the New Black (her name is Alysia Reiner, had to imdb it), but Kristin Wiig is cast and she will be amazing. She is younger and hotter and just fantastic in general. Those were the two characters that I pictured the clearest, other than Damon as Mark, and I was definitely happy with those casting choices, and I am pretty happy about the rest as well. If the movie is as good as the casting, I am going to LOVE this movie. (side note: I loved this book so much and I am so looking forward to the movie that I will probably do a review of it on here as well. So, stay tuned for that if you like this book review)

I finished this book a few of days ago and it's weird... it feels like I had been on Mars for a week and now I miss it. And there's no way to go back. If Weir tries to make a sequel I will be pissed. It doesn't need one, and shouldn't have one. (plus, I am a bit bias considering the sequels I have read lately). The best he could do would be a tangent character or plot or something and that just wouldn't be as good. But this book is worth a read. It's technically Science Fiction, because no one has walked on Mars yet, so this is future, but not super far in the future future. So it's attainable Science Fiction if that makes sense. I feel like I could recommend this book for everyone. It's just a great story. If you read it, let me know, so we can talk about it. If you see the movie... well... we can talk about that too, but you should really read the book ;)

Another Trial in Germany???

If you remember back a few months ago, I posted about the trial of Oskar Groening and how, at the age of Ninety-Four he was on trial for Nazi war crimes, because laws in Germany have changed so that anyone who did anything for the Nazis at any point can now be charged with accessory to murder.

I actually stopped looking up the trial because of constant delays. Oskar got really sick mid way through the trial and it was postponed a bunch, so whenever I checked there was no new info. Gradually I checked less and less frequently, to the point I wasn't checking anymore.

Last night I was reading through my usual news websites and came across an article about a new trial of another NINETY ONE year old woman being charged with accessory for murder because she was a radio operator. The article stated that a ninety four year old had been charged earlier this year, so I googled it, and sure enough. Oskar got 4 years. You can read about it here.  I am mad about it. I agreed with one of the plaintiffs that he should have had community service where he spoke out about what happened during the Holocaust. Then some good would have come of it, and I think it would have been a reasonable "punnishment" for just being a cog in a big evil clock. So anyone that was interested in that previous post... I guess that's the follow up. Poor guy is probably going to die in jail or die appealing the ruling.

SO, there's a new story now. As you probably figured, with the limited info this article presents. I feel pretty similar to the last trial.

Germany may need to have a geriatric jail if they keep up at this pace. I wouldn't mind working there. All the inmates are in their 90s and are there feeling shame for getting sucked into a Nazi black hole in their 20s... I doubt they'd have shanks. I'm in!


But in all seriousness, what the hell? Seriously?? What. The. Hell?

Go Set A Watchman

Maycomb, Alabama. Twenty-six-year-old Jean Louise Finch--"Scout"--returns home from New York City to visit her aging father, Atticus. Set against the backdrop of the civil rights tensions and political turmoil that were transforming the South, Jean Louise's homecoming turns bittersweet when she learns disturbing truths about her close-knit family, the town and the people dearest to her. Memories from her childhood flood back, and her values and assumptions are thrown into doubt. Featuring many of the iconic characters from To Kill a Mockingbird, Go Set a Watchmanperfectly captures a young woman, and a world, in a painful yet necessary transition out of the illusions of the past--a journey that can be guided only by one's conscience.

Written in the mid-1950s, Go Set a Watchman imparts a fuller, richer understanding and appreciation of Harper Lee. Here is an unforgettable novel of wisdom, humanity, passion, humor and effortless precision--a profoundly affecting work of art that is both wonderfully evocative of another era and relevant to our own times. It not only confirms the enduring brilliance of To Kill a Mockingbird, but also serves as its essential companion, adding depth, context and new meaning to an American classic. 



I think I am going to swear off sequels for a while after this. The last few I've read have been really disappointing so I really need to read something that I am going to like! For me, I suppose, sequels set the expectations too high. I want to LOVE them as much as the originals, and lately that hasn't been happening. Alas... on to the review.

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... Honestly, I don't know where to begin. There is SO much to talk about with this one and things interrelate to eachother, so I apologize if I bounce around a lot and this review seems a bit disconnected...

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... Ok, one more thing before I get going: I think it's important to know the background on the publishing history of this book because in some areas, it does really matter. I suppose it shouldn't, because normally you don't know what goes into the publication of a book, but in this case, being that this is Harper Lee's "second" (I'll explain the quotation marks in a minute) novel, and the "first" has been such a huge hit and is taught in schools now, it's kinda relevant. The truncated version is that Go Set A Watchman was written by Lee first, but rejected by publishers. One of the publishers told her that the story of Scout as a child would make for a better book, so she went and wrote that one. That book became To Kill A Mockingbird. For whatever reason, she never went about publishing Go Set a Watchman after To Kill a Mockingbird was published. Who knows if she forgot about it, or decided she was living well enough off of To Kill A Mockingbird that she figured she didn't need to bother publishing Go Set A Watchman, or if she figured if it had already been rejected what was the point of tryng again... who knows. But it was found in her attic or something and now is being published a good 60+ years after it was written. So which one is technically the first book? Thus the quotation marks. Anywhoo, now you have the abridged version of the history of this publication.

Ok... let's start with the arbitrary topic of inconsistencies. Inconsistencies are a big irritant with me. When we are told something happens one way and then something else later, that drives me mad. This mostly happens with series with MASS quantities of books, sometimes authors must have forgotten that they already wrote about some incident or topic in a previous novel, but in this book it was too big to be an oversight. It was a choice. At some point Lee changed the outcome of a huge plotline in To Kill A Mockingbird that differed from the passing mention of what happened in Go Set A Watchman. There is no way that any person that has read To Kill A Mockingbird could miss it. I'm not sure exactly why I bothered, but I took to the internet after reading that part and it is a general consensus that Go Set A Watchman is a parallel universe to that of To Kill a Mockingbird. I'm not sure if that is true, or just that is how the pubic is explaining this massive fuck up. I'm also not sure if that is better or worse in the grand scheme of things. Perhaps it's better because technically this book would have NOTHING to do with To Kill a Mockingbird if it's a parallel universe, but at the same time, why would anyone ever want to read about a parallel universe when the original is just fine? Not me. I think Lee just changed the story while writing To Kill a Mockingbird, and the publishers were so stoked about finding Go Set A Watchman that they didn't edit it or change a thing. The should have... they really should have.

I can totally see how publishers could read this book and see that a story about Scout's childhood would be better. The flashbacks in this story were easily my favourite parts, and most were from the time between Mockingbird and Watchman. Maybe if Lee had written Watchman as two books, one of the flashbacks in chronological order, and then published the rest as another book, then at least I would have liked the middle book of the series and been satisfied, rather than disliking Go Set a Watchman as a whole instead.

One thing I can say for this book is that Lee is still a master of the written word. Her book, in a literary sense, was smooth as silk. There was this one point where Scout is passing around sandwiches at a gawd awful party and was catching clips of all of these women's conversations. It was written beautifully and it almost felt like I was there. Great writing. In contrast, it really boils down to that the plot, or lack of one, that really killed it for me. In Mockingbird, there were two really solid plotlines that wove together really well (Tom Robinson's court case and Boo Radley). In Watchman there was nothing even comparable. Scout went back to Maycomb. Things are backward from what she prefers and she finds out things about her father that she doesn't like. That is all. Really nothing happened, and that is where the HUGE issue lies with this book. 

I really feel like everything that made To Kill a Mockingbird fantastic, all of the forward thinking and amazing parenting and tackling the issue of Human Rights, was really lost in this novel. Instead we got steps backwards in Women's rights. I don't want to get into any spoilers here, so I'm just going to say that perhaps had this book been published back in the 50s when it was written it would have flown, but today... I can't imagine it being received too well by younger generations the way To Kill a Mockingbird has been. 

I gotta say, I'd just recommend giving this one a pass. I found it tough to rate on GoodReads, this is where I need a 1/2 star system. Because this one would have fallen somewhere between an "it's OK" and "I didn't like it". I don't feel it's poor enough to get the 2-star rating that other books have gotten, but 3-stars is giving it too much credit for something so disappointing. Something still can be said for Lee's writing style, but the plot just isn't there. Just go read To Kill a Mockingbird and forget this book exists.

Time for a REBRAND!

... or re-template or something....

Frankly I needed to change my background for the blog. It started to bother me that the most obvious books on that shelf were Angel (the TV show) spinoff books. Yuck. Like I would ever read that crap.. um... unless it's Star Wars expanded universe spinoff-y stuff. But that doesn't count! Because... um... nevermind. We were talking about the changes! Back on topic.

Tell me what you think! If you have any opinion of course. This background pick is lighter and more friendly, but hates text of any colour because there are some dark and some light areas. So choosing one colour of text is difficult, especially for the title. Black and white didn't work... but maybe this ocre coloured one does? Let me know. I can still change it if it sucks.

P.S. My next book review will be up in the next couple days if that is why you are here (Goodreads automatically posts to my wall when I finish a book, and I notice that my view counts skyrocket those days. So... sorry to disappoint. It's coming!)

The Rosie Effect

Don Tillman and Rosie Jarman are back. If you were swept away by Graeme Simsion’s international smash hit The Rosie Project, you will love The Rosie Effect.

The Wife Project is complete, and Don and Rosie are happily married and living in New York. But they’re about to face a new challenge.

Rosie is pregnant.

Don sets about learning the protocols of becoming a father, but his unusual research style gets him into trouble with the law. Fortunately his best friend Gene is on hand to offer advice: he’s left Claudia and moved in with Don and Rosie.

As Don tries to schedule time for pregnancy research, getting Gene and Claudia back together, servicing the industrial refrigeration unit that occupies half his apartment, helping Dave the Baseball Fan save his business and staying on the right side of Lydia the social worker, he almost misses the biggest problem of all: he might lose Rosie when she needs him most.

Get ready for The Rosie Effect, the new hilarious and heart-wrenching romantic comedy of the year. 


This book had SO much potential. And I was so, SO disappointed. Part of me wonders if Simsion was encouraged or persuaded to pump out another book really quick in order to keep the momentum off of The Rosie Project (which was a FAR superior novel. You can read my review on that one here).

One of the greatest things about The Rosie Project was that it was able to be funny without being at anyone's expense. It was humour based on sound logic that fails in practicality, and social expectations put under the microscope to realize how silly they are. This book, however, seemed to attempt humour at Don's expense, at parents' expense, and at pregnant mothers' expense. I also found that there was lots of stereotyping of people in specific academic fields in this novel that wasn't in it's predecessor. Overall, for a book that I expected to be as funny as the first, I felt I had only gotten one instance of it that was like the first novel. Otherwise, the humour fell flat. This is a comedic bomb.

Part of the issue with the humour may have stemmed from the fact that this novel was so much more serious than the first. Divorces, break ups, misunderstandings, and estrangements litter the plot line. Honestly sometimes things happened that were so heavy I had a bit of anxiety about them. So with such serious topics, how do you keep the humour going? You can't (or at least Simsion can't), and that was proved with this novel.

It's hard not to be too harsh on this book, but I am just so heartbroken and disappointed. The Rosie Project was easily one of the best books I have ever read, and I was looking forward to this one for so long. The Rosie Effect is really not a bad story if it were to be considered all by itself, but the first novel just set the standard too high. I suppose it was bound to fall that way. 

If one good thing can be said about the novel is that after all of the stuff I just mentioned, it ended well, but I don't think it made up for the wreck of a journey this book was. Personally, I think if you read and loved the first one, don't read this one. Maybe if Simsion writes a third book and it's good, then give this one a chance just in order to keep up with the story, but keep expectations low.

Upcoming with Dominic

After having quite a few months of quiet life with Dominic it was bound to get more eventful again. Can't be idle for too long, where's the fun in that?

Today we had Dominic's plastic surgeon appointment and I have been eagerly awaiting this one for a while. Our previous plastic surgeon had decided to pass on her Pediatric patients to another doctor and today was the day to meet this new doc. I was concerned that the change in doctor would postpone his palate surgery because the previous doctor wouldn't have booked OR time because she wouldn't be working on Dom, and the new doctor was unlikely to book a slot without meeting Dom and assessing the state of his palate himself. And I was right. However, I was wrong about it delaying the dates for Dom's surgery. His new plastic surgeon had similar plans to the former and still figured we should try for this month or next, but it was possible he might not get in until November depending on space availability. I left the appointment feeling happy with this new doctor and felt I had a clear grasp on what to expect.  His office would call me with dates as soon as he was scheduled. The only big thing that I needed to work on in the mean time is getting Dominic to drink out of an open cup.  I have no idea how this is going to go. Dominic isn't even on a sippy cup or anything yet. The reasoning behind the open cup thing is that he is going to have a lot of stitches in the roof of his mouth so any suction or pressure may rip them out. So even his cleft lip bottle he uses he won't be able to use after surgery. And one of the requirements to leaving the hospital after surgery is the ability to take fluid by mouth via an open cup.... Well... What can I say? Challenge Accepted.

Of course everything changed a few hours after we got home -- one of Dominic's cardiologists called. We had a cardio appointment a few weeks ago and got an ECHO done and his cardiologist mentioned that the pressures on the right side of his heart were starting to climb again. This is because of the stents that Dom had put in during his hybrid cath procedure in Edmonton last November. He has grown A LOT in the past 10 months and it's possible he is already starting to outgrow the stents. She said she was going to consult with Dom's other two cardiologists and get back to me if they all thought that there was something that needed to be done right away or if we should give it more time. See if we could try to wait until a point where his conduit needs to be replaced too or something. His Oxygen Saturation levels were still good even with the higher pressures, so when I hadn't heard back, I figured that they must have decided it could wait. This phone call, however, proved otherwise. They have decided that Dominic needs to have another cath procedure done, and although it's not emergent, it still needs to be done before his palate surgery. So that's the big kicker that will delay his palate surgery, not the change in plastics doctor. The other big thing about this cath procedure is that because of Dominic's complex... well, everything really... it was determined at their Western Canadian Cardiac conference call that it should be done in Edmonton. This is one of those developments that I am a bit torn about. It's never easy to travel to Edmonton for these things, mostly because I have to leave Rosalie behind. I know she will be fine being with my mom, but... ya know... parenting. At the same time the Stollery is the best hospital ever. I wish that it was in Saskatoon rather than Edmonton. If any procedure is being done on Dom I would prefer it be in Edmonton just because their facility is so much better than RUH. And frankly RUH is a dump. All the staff are amazing in Saskatoon, but everything from the facility itself down to the cribs are so much better in Edmonton. I'll try looking on the bright side, maybe if Dom stays overnight after his cath Roland and I will get a bit of a break. And maybe we can go to Ikea... so... I'm deciding to view it as a positive, with a very few downsides.... Really if they could just pick up the Stollery and plop it into Saskatoon that would really solve all of my problems.

So, we're going to have some hectic months upcoming. That'll also probably mean more Dominic updates ;)


Mini Rosalie Update!

She started Preschool today, and had SO much fun. This is going to be a great year for her.

Eight Hundred Grapes

There are secrets you share, and secrets you hide…

Growing up on her family’s Sonoma vineyard, Georgia Ford learned some important secrets. The secret number of grapes it takes to make a bottle of wine: eight hundred. The secret ingredient in her mother’s lasagna: chocolate. The secret behind ending a fight: hold hands.

But just a week before her wedding, thirty-year-old Georgia discovers her beloved fiancé has been keeping a secret so explosive, it will change their lives forever.

Georgia does what she’s always done: she returns to the family vineyard, expecting the comfort of her long-married parents, and her brothers, and everything familiar. But it turns out her fiancé is not the only one who’s been keeping secrets… 


I have quite a few summer reads waiting for me, and this was the first one I decided to pick up. I (and I am sure lots of other readers) prefer really light easy reads in the summer, and as this year is proving to be a busy one that isn't leaving me much time to read, this approach to reading is working out conveniently since often when I return to a book it's been a few days and I need something that is easy to remember what has happened already and catch up pretty easily. So this book worked perfectly.

I enjoyed this book as a summer read. I really wasn't expecting too much from it, all I really wanted was something fun to keep me entertained and I definitely got that from this book. I had a few laugh out loud moments, a few shake your head moments, and a lot of relatable moments while reading this book. I loved the little family idioms. I liked that the family had it's own little quirks and wasn't WAY out there, but was still one of those disfunctional families you wouldn't really want to be a part of; it's entertaining because it's happening to someone else and not you. This family seems like they could be your neighbours. I can't say I agreed with all of the decisions that the characters made, but it almost makes it more relatable that way. 

Give it a go! I enjoyed it and I hope you do too!

Frustration (an abridged story)

Abridged version of Events leading up to Dominic's MRI appointment today:

Sept 2014: 

Neurologist: We should get an MRI done on Dominic to get a better idea of what his stroke has effected

Me: why? Will it change anything?

Neurologist: No, but we can use it to determine if the stoke is the cause of any issues in the future, so we'll already have the info to reference. We'll just get it done when he's already under anesthesia for another procedure, so we don't have to put him under twice, because it's a bit more dangerous with his heart condition and he's so little.

Me: Ok

Oct 2014:

Random Pediatrician in Acute Peds sends referral to get the MRI.

June 2015:

MRI admin assistant phones to notify us that Dom in scheduled for an MRI on August 25th.

Me: I thought we were coupling it with another procedure?

MRI A.A.: I don't know anything about that. Talk to your Doctor.

July 2015:

Me: Dominic got scheduled for an MRI in August

Pediatrician: Oh Good.

(Note: this is NOT the pediatrician that originally sent the referral for the MRI. This pediatrician we see regularly, the other one we have never seen since)

Me: I thought we were going to do it when another procedure is being done so we don't have to knock him out twice?

Pediatrician: MRI's schedule is not very flexible like that so it would be tough to schedule. Plus it takes a long time to get in, so he should take the opportunity of this appointment.

Me: so we should just do the MRI by itself then?

Pediatrician: I think that's best.

Me: ok

Late afternoon August 20 2015

MRI A.A.: I have called to prescreen Dominic for his MRI that random pediatrician from Acute Peds ordered and give you a million pieces of paperwork that needs to be done by a doctor before the MRI Tuesday.

Me: awesome. Wait, what? It wasn't even the neurologist or his own pediatrician that ordered this?

MRI: nope. It was ordered by random pediatrician.

Me: double awesome. (Thinks: Maybe I should just cancel it? No. His doctors still kinda want this info)

I call Dom's Pediatrician and leave a message

Aug 21, right before we leave for Yorkton:

Pediatrician's A.A.: we got your message and she will do most of the paperwork, but doesn't have recent vitals so you need to go to his family doctor to get those done and we will fax the MRI department our paperwork.

Me: Awesome

(Knowing that our family doctor books months in advance, but saves 2 appointments a day for same day visits I plan to call Monday)

Yesterday, first thing in the morning 

Me: can I get my son into see his family doctor today?

Family Doctor A.A.: no. She's all booked.

Me: I just need vitals taken on my son for an MRI he has scheduled for tomorrow. Can the walk in doctor do that for me?

Family Doctor A.A.: no.

Me: ...

Family Doctor A.A.: when is the MRI?

Me: tomorrow 

Family Doctor A.A.: ok. As long as it's only the vitals.

I take Dom to the Walk in Doctor, wait an hour. Get in to see him.

Walk In Doctor: what can I do for you?

Me: I need vitals for my son's MRI tomorrow.

Walk In Doctor: so which vitals do you need?

Me: all of them?

Walk In Doctor: ...

Me: Height? Weight? Oxygen Sats? Heart Rate? Blood Pressure? I don't know I've never had to do this before

Walk In Doctor: Ok here is a very unofficial looking printout with my signature on it and only 4 of those things because we don't do Oxygen Sats here.

Me: awesome.

Today:

6am:

Wake up, give Dom his meds through his tube while he sleeps. Get everything ready to go

7am:

My mom arrives at my house to look after Rosalie. Leave the house with Dom. He is hungry (because I've been told not to feed him after midnight) and still tired, and thus grumpy.

7:30 (as advised):

Register Dom at RUH, go to MRI.

9:00 (his actual appointment time):

MRI Nurse: why are we doing the MRI?

Me: to get a better picture of the Stroke he had in Utero.

MRI Nurse: is that it? We're not trying to diagnose him with anything?

Me: nope

MRI Nurse: ...

Me: ...

MRI Nurse: well, if that's what the random pediatrician wants. But it seems silly to put him under anesthesia when it's not going to change anything about his care.

Me: Yup.

MRI Nurse: we didn't get any paperwork from the pediatrician, so I will go call her office while the anesthesiologist comes to talk to you.

Anesthesiologist: I'm reading in his file that his is tough to get an IV into, and he's a tough intubation, so I don't think this is a good idea. Does he have any other procedures coming up that he would already need to be under for? 

Me: yes, his cleft palate surgery in September or October.

Anesthesiologist: ok! We'll just coordinate with Plastics and do it when he's booked for that.

Me: AAAAAAAARRRRRRGGGGG!

I am SO frustrated with this. What a waste of my time and the $10 of parking I paid for at RUH. At the same time it's what I wanted. I DIDN'T want him put under for only the MRI, but thought it was my only option if I wanted the MRI at all. So apparently if I say that I want things coupled with the MRI it's impossible, but if the MRI people want to couple it, that's just easy peasy. I also kinda feel like I should have just cancelled, but I doubt anyone else would have made a point of getting this MRI done at the same time as his cleft palate surgery if I hadn't come to see the MRI team anyway. So it seems like this had to happen... Doesn't mean I have to like it though... It's just so dumb...

Bel Canto

Somewhere in South America, at the home of the country's vice president, a lavish birthday party is being held in honor of the powerful businessman Mr. Hosokawa. Roxane Coss, opera's most revered soprano, has mesmerized the international guests with her singing. It is a perfect evening--until a band of gun-wielding terrorists takes the entire party hostage. But what begins as a panicked, life-threatening scenario slowly evolves into something quite different, a moment of great beauty, as terrorists and hostages forge unexpected bonds, and people from different continents become compatriots. Friendship, compassion, and the chance for great love lead the characters to forget the real danger that has been set in motion . . . and cannot be stopped.


Interesting little history tidbit: Back in the day, when I worked at McNally, and the first summer that I was there and "won" the staff picks sales for the summer, Bel Canto was the book that I think came in 3rd to my Innocent Traitor. I remember Barb picked it and said that she loved it, but as much as I respect Barb's choice in literature I couldn't bring myself to read it due to the subject matter. I just didn't think it sounded interesting. But because of a recent book club choice completely out of my control, and remembering this book was Barb's staff pick, I figured I should give it a try since it crossed my path again.

For the most part I feel that my predetermined opinion was pretty accurate. I am not very interested in Opera, I can appreciate the talent and work that it takes these singers to belt it out the way they do, but it is just not in my tastes for music. So in this novel, the fact that in many cases the singing of Opera changes the mood or alters a characters's course of action was almost eye-roll worthy. I am sure that Patchett is a an Opera fan, and may feel that Opera can solve all problems in a hostage situation, however I cannot say that agree.

One thing I am not sure of is if many people realize is that this novel is loosely based on an incident called the Lima Crisis (or Japanese Embassy Hostage Crisis), which I only found out after reading a review or two of the book. After doing some research on the actual event, I came to realize that there was a lot of artistic licence taken with the series of actual events (probably why it isn't blatantly evident or drawn attention to). This research made it clear that Opera was of no part of the true story and neither was the astounding amout of Stockholm Syndrome in the book. I would say that most of the progression in the plot is related to Stockholm Syndrome, and, for the record, the worst case of it I have ever heard of it at that. Almost to the point of absurdity. But it did effectivly move the story along and it was a great way to develop characters and flush out the situation the hostages and terrorists were in. The issue I had with it was more of the "don't forget that even the bad guys are people too!" moral that got a bit preachy for me. This was a fictional group of people, fighting for a fictional cause, in a fictional book, but there are many real terrorist groups that will take people hostage and then film their beheadings and put them up on the internet. But by all means, romanticize hostage situations in order to "educate" and preach to the public, and really, if people read into this too much they may put themselves in danger because their captors may be "good people that made bad choices" and not evil people that only want to hurt others to further their own lives. I'm not saying that this is always the case, but I am a firm believer that people should hope for the best but prepare for the worst. Romanticizing dangerous situations only puts future potential victims in more danger.

One of the other problems I ran into with this one, and I think it may be stemming from the use of the Lima Crisis as a basis to start from, was the multitude of characters. In the Lima crisis there were a lot of terrorists and hostages and while Patchett tried to keep to the number of the actual incident it was tough to keep characters straight. Many we only hear from once or twice, but when first trying to learn who everyone is and whether they are important gets confusing. I think this may have been a device to create a sheer magnatude of numbers that resulted in an enormous language barrier between people, thus another plot angle to work with, but I think the story really does suffer from it.

For the most part this book was really well written, but had a few moments where Patchett takes you out of the story in order to remind you that you are reading a book. I have ALWAYS been irritated with this method of writing. When I read a novel, I want to be a part of the story, not reminded I am actually sitting in my bedroom reading. The early in the fourth chapter was a statement that read "so to rejoin the story a week after Mr Hosokawa's birthday ended seems as good a place as any". I'm sorry, but an author does not need to outwardly justify why he or she "rejoined the story" at a specific place. Give me a time marker, like a date or a reference from one of the characters, but do not openly tell me that you chose this spot for a reason. I am sure your reason is fine, just get on with the story. Another series that did this to me was The Series of Unfortunate Events. It would constantly stop the story to give you a definition of a word or something, which might be great for young readers' vocabulary, but was really jarring to the story. [The line I remember from that one is "Violet slept fitfully (Fitfully in this case means with much tossing and turning)..." or something to that effect. Terrible]

For the most part it was a good story, Opera fans may like it better than I do. I think it was relatively well researched and although it does have a few things that weren't perfect many others may see things differently. I know on GoodReads, any friends that have read this one have rated it higher than I did, so maybe I'm missing something [E.C.- I expect to be filled in on the opinions of the Book Club ;)]