friday

I am halfway thru Swimming to Antarctica and I have to say, the woman is NUTS! She swims Glacier Bay in Alaska, breaking up ice floes with her arms. She nearly gets eaten by a twelve-foot shark off the coast of South Africa. She is about to swim the Bering Strait. I hate to be cold - I cannot even imagine! Her writing style is sort of anecdotal and at times immature, but she's got a great story to tell.

I happened to pick up Kate Atkinson's Behind the Scenes at the Museum at Half Price Books a while ago, after I had just finished Case Histories. I started it the other night. The narrator and central character is Ruby Lennox, who begins her story at the moment of her conception. Parts are told in flashback, in a quiet and thoughtful sort of way, to fill in family history. Ruby is an amusing and all-knowing narrator (she misses knowing her mother's private fantasies after she is birthed...), and the book is really compelling so far. I'll let you know if it finishes as strongly as it starts.

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I am considering getting the boys some fish. Si is a big Mr Rogers fan and would like some. Last time I went to buy goldfish, however, I practically got reported to the SPCA for daring to say I was just going to put the dang fish in a bowl. And then the overzealous, overprotective salesperson refused to sell me any goldfish because, and I quote, "they are all on medication right now." Right. Goldfish Prozac, because just swimming in circles around their tank is really depressing. And the thought of living in a bowl in my living room would make them suicidal? Someone suggested beta fish instead - apparently they live longer. And maybe they are not as prone to depressive tendencies. Probably because they just EAT each other instead. Oh for Christ's sake, maybe I'll just stick with my kids and my cats.