My in-laws have a wide collection of books. Some line bookcases in the living room - these are the reference books, the photo albums, the cookbooks, the encyclopedias. Other boxes of books sit in storage in the basement, waiting to be opened one day. Still others line a set of shelves heading downstairs - popular fiction from the 1950s onward sitting next to non-fiction books that will teach me French or Spanish, biographies of infamous men, and cast-offs from various libraries and book sales from my travels and their travels
This weekend I picked up the novel Alaska by James Michener and haven't been able to put it down. At this rate I'll finish the thing by the end of tomorrow, and for a book that measures at 900 pages, that's a pretty good clip.
I've read Michener before, starting with The Source in a high school global studies class. Michener's standard style is to take a place (or, for his novel Space, a concept), and weave a set of stories throughout history, beginning with the start of time itself and ending with present day. You get used to his weighty, layered historical detail after a few hundred pages, and if you can get past the sheer volume of his words, the pages reveal a compelling story. This book makes me want to go to this strange state and travel around for a bit, and I imagine that the author would take this as a compiment if he were still alive .
It's hardly a bit of light summer reading - but it does give me an idea - would anyone here like to start up a book club? Something like, we read the same book, then post about it at some point(s). There are a few other Michener books I'd like to try, but I need to take a break after this one, maybe with some non-fiction or a really trashy chick-lit paperback.

As trendy web projects go, Pandora is pretty sweet. Signup (for free), pick an artist, and the "music genome project" will style a personalized music station for you.
My current stations include:
Jem, Tori Amos, Sarah Slean, Nickelback, Tegan and Sarah, Armin Van Buuren (creator of the 24 Longest Day Remix , my favorite techno song in the history of favorite techno songs), DJ Tiesto and The Cranberries.

Any other suggestions?

[I just watched the 24 music video, again. That's almost too much Jack Bauer for me to handle. Almost.]

I won't be able to make it to their grand opening this weekend, but Buffalo Rising features (e:laurajean) in an article today. Kudos to one of our (e:peeps) (laurajean, are you still around?)

Ilovemycoop:

Today is also special, as it is Take your Pet to Work day

(e:peeps) - I give to you the site What Would Tyler Durden Do's post, which contends that "Connie Chung Is Insane"


After seeing that video I am not sure that insane is the right word for it.

I was going to post my awesome recipe for a simple pasta cassarole, but the pasta is too sticky and the flavor is good, but weird. I attempted the Rachael Ray Southwestern Pasta Bake but didn't feel like making the cheese sauce and instead tried to - well, it doesn't matter. It's edible, but as a choice between this and a nice bowl of cereal . . . I'd probably take the cereal. The chicken came out good though:
- 2-3 chicken breasts, diced into bite-sized pieces;
- season with cumin, chili powder, salt, pepper, italian seasoning (this is where I lost the "southwest" part of it);
- put EVOO in the saute pan, twice around the pan;
- heat, toss in chicky;
- stir until cooked, splashing a bunch (a tablespoon?) of lemon juice halfway through;
- add to something that is not my horrific pasta disaster. Maybe a quesadilla? Or with some rice.

(e:matthew), did I tell you about Gluten Free Girl? She's incredible.

So here's a recipe for a Saratoga Spritzer. I can't find a reference for it online, so I'll go with the recipe in my head (courtesy of my mama):
In a chilled glass (ALWAYS keep glasses chillin in the freezer), combine a tablespoon of lemon juice (more or less, to taste) and 2 sugar cubes.
Add Ginger Ale and some ice.
Add a few dashes of Angostura Bitters on top.
Swirl.
Enjoy.

You can use sprite or sierra mist or 7up too.