Tate and Werner Wildlife Museums

Yesterday, we went to the Tate Paleontology Museum, and then the Werner Wildlife Musem.

The Tate has "Dee" the mammoth, the largest Columbian mammoth found thus far in North America (and it was found right here in WY!).

It's very large. It's so large that I couldn't get it all in my camera at once. Therefore, I have a picture of its back legs and my dad, who is studiously reading every single word on the display.

The Twelve-Year-Old is studiously admiring dinosaur eggs. Yep. He sure is a solemn, studious lad. Sometimes I think he takes things too seriously.

This is Rick giving me his, "mneh, I don't wanna have my picture taken next to the jaws of a 'Giant Sea Lizard,' but okayyyy..." face.

If only this T-Rex would cooperate and chomp down when I ask him to!

*ahem* I mean, thank goodness this wee beastie has been dead for millenia.

Same not-hungry tyrannous king, but this time, he's losing a staring contest to me.

Someone panted a yellow-and-black-eye on a red Christmas ornament and hung it in this big ol' guy's eye socket. Even so, I beat him to the ground in our staring contest.

Oh, by the way, Dad has an electric guitar.

Review of The Warrior Heir

The Warrior Heir by Cinda Williams Chima. First in a trilogy.

In a magical world where most people (Anaweir) are completely unaware of magical happenings, wizards are willing to stop at nothing to gain the upper hand in their own political intrigues. These wizards use all other magical beings (Anawizard Weir) to achieve those ends. The highest pawns in demand are Warriors, a class that is almost extinct, due to a barbaric, gladiator-like “Game,” in which the warriors are forced to fight each other in their wizard’s stead.

Jack belongs to the Warrior class of Anawizard Weir. Having come into his abilities late in life, he is fought over by the two major wizard political groups. Jack doesn’t want to die in this political game… and he doesn’t want to kill anyone else, either.

The book was entertaining, with a somewhat original premise. However, it seems that Chima’s foreshadowing is a bit heavy-handed – I predicted several key plot and character developments in advance (remember, I’m the only Harry Potter fan in the world that didn’t foresee Ron and Hermione’s relationship). Additionally, Chima’s wording is awkward at times, and she has a love of incomplete sentences. Chima often has two sentences where one would be more effective and elegant. For my taste, fragment sentences are forgivable in dialogue, when communcating dialect – in narration, it is less forgivable.

Characterization is shallow at times – best friend Will is big and loyal, but there’s really not much else to him – and characters’ objectives tend to be simple. Additionally, aspects of The Warrior Heir’s world were not initially well explained. Since most of the book is in third person, from Jack’s point of view, perhaps Chima was trying to force the reader to feel the same confusion Jack feels. However, I felt that because we did see some backstories that Jack wasn’t privy to, the information was simply poorly dealt out. For example, it was difficult to figure out just why Jack was being sought after – it wasn’t until late in the book that we really learned about “The Game,” even though we’d seen characters talk about it in the first chapters.

Negatives aside, the story was entertaining, if not engaging, and certainly a fresh take on the normal-teenager-turned-ancient-warrior line of YA literature (My favorite series in this vein is Percy Jackson). Chima’s writing is descriptive, and she seems at ease with using variety in her language, without sounding like a thesaurus. My twelve-year old source loved the book, but if you’re looking for a book to enjoy with your young teen, you might consider others (Three unrelated but fantastic series you might enjoy as much as your young person are: Artemis Fowl, by Eoin Colfer; Percy Jackson, by Rick Riordan; Bartimaeus, by Jonathon Stroud; Ranger’s Apprentice, by John Flanagan). That said, this book would be great for young audiences who are just beginning to edge away from the Children’s section of the library and towards the Teen section. Kids that love books with lots of action (like my source!) should also enjoy The Warrior Heir.

On the other hand, I would say that for a similar-premis-but-better-written book (also the beginning of a series), you might pick up The Hunger Games over this one.

-Carlin Mackenzie

Run-on Sentences

Dear Run-on Sentences:

You know, I suppose it’s good that we’re finally meeting up again. It has been a while since I’ve seen you, after all, and I wouldn’t want to lose an old friend. Hey, I haven’t forgotten – you were with me through the thick and thin of elementary school. You were always there to offer me a proverbial shoulder to cry on when I hit writer’s block in sixth grade. You were there to encourage me when the teachers of fifth grade were cheerleading the benefits of sentences containing multiple clauses. Run-on Sentences, you were there with me, loyal and true, and always willing to step up to the plate when I needed another ten words put somewhere.

I remember that story we wrote together, in our golden days of youth. I pranced and leaped through fields of imagination, and Run-on Sentences, you slithered alongside me, ensuring my purple pencil could keep up with my fun-filled fantasies. With you by my side, I needed not stop to make a period! When we were together, the words simply flowed out of my slowly deadening pencil, with no regard for form, grammar, or even sense. Those were the days. We were free together, you and I.

Worry not, Run-on Sentences, my sweet. I have not forgotten how close we once were. I’ll always have a special place in my heart for you, truly. But, Run-on Sentences – now, please understand, I say this not with hard feelings, or with any wish to hurt you – you really mustn’t interrupt me at work like this. I know, we had a past, and yes, we had something special going. But when I’m writing about the British government and Parliament, you can’t just barge in and expect me to give up everything to be with you again. Times have changed.

I have changed. I’m older now, and I’ve met some new friends. I know, Run-on Sentences, you hate Conciseness – but I’m not hanging out with him to spite you! It’s just a personality clash between the two of you, he’s really not a bad guy; maybe if you gave him a chance, you’d be surprised by how great Conciseness is.

I have to admit, though, Conciseness isn’t the only one. He introduced me to Eloquence. Oh, Run-on Sentences, I know you’ve never met her. You’ve probably never been in the same room as Eloquence. She’s way out of your league. Hey, she’s way out of mine, too. Poets do not write about her beauty. Eloquence gives poetry its beauty!

It hurts me to say this more than it hurts you to hear it, Run-on Sentences (don’t pretend you didn’t hang out with every other seventh grader in the school just as often as you played with me), but if I got a chance to hang out with Eloquence, I’d stop seeing you for good. Eloquence isn’t a toy, you know. I could never be with her and keep in touch with you. She’d leave me in an instant if she even thought I’d dallied with you again, Run-on Sentences.

Please don’t be hurt, my old friend. I’ve still got a long way to go until I get even close to the level of Eloquence. We can still share a moment or two in the meantime. Just understand, Run-on Sentences, I can’t be seen with you at school. Really. If you showed up in an essay, why, I’d never hear the end of it. Just know that I remember you fondly, and you can still pop up, if you’re subtle about it, and if we have the delete key there to chaperone.

Fondly,

Me

Books

I'd like to get back into reading a lot of Fantasy and Science Fiction (I've gotten out of practice at reading space novels). I'd also like to start reading new books again -- it feels like forever since I've picked up a brand new book and read it.

You know, there's a big difference between reading and rereading. There's also a big difference between reading and reading for an English class. That's why I decided to make a list.

These are books that I want to read and review:

American Gods by Neil Gaiman

Stardust by Neil Gaiman

The Help by Kathryn Stockett

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo by Steig Larsson

My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult

(books below were added to the list after a facebook plea)

Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss

Deadline by Chris Crutcher

Sun Tzu: Art of War

The Society of S by Susan Hubbard

Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman

Potchrowe Harris and the Hallowed Death People by J.K. Simmons (not a parody of anything, I'm sure)

These are books I need to finish and review:

The Looking Glass Wars by Frank Beddor

I Never Promised You A Rose Garden by Joanne Greenberg (penname Hannah Green)

The Belgariad by David Eddings

Anybody know of any other books that I should read?

A Wedding Dress For Mother

By the way, my mother, the beautiful and just JM is engaged to the wise and kind JL.

They've been seeing each other for quite some time now, and I am shocked, not that both their names start with the letter J, but that I've really never noticed that commonality until now.

Next, allow me to inform you that the title of this post sounds like it ought to be a book. "A Daisy for Armadillo," "A Wedding Dress For Mother," you know, all in the same vein.

And thirdly, I stayed home sick (in the American and British senses of the word!) today, and I looked at wedding dresses.

A lot of them.

Actually, if I'm to be specific, I looked at Mother of the Bride dresses, because while my mother is getting married, she seems to think that wearing a poofy white concoction at age olderthanthou+ is ridiculous. So. Some of my favorites so far are:

I just love the detailed neckline and the pleated sleeves. It's a bit suit-ier than is my ideal, but it is her wedding, after all.

This dress is 50705, from David's Bridal (davidsbridal.com).

This dress's ephemeral quality is what blows my mind away. The grey color reminds me of smoke dissolving in the sky and the dream-like sheer overlay adds to that. I wouldn't want her marrying JL in that color -- and the effect wouldn't work in any other. Therefore, it's just here because I really like it.

This dress is 29994, from Montage Boutique (brides.com)

I like the lace of the top, I love the ruching, I love the delicate "lift" of the skirt... Beautiful dress, in all. This is the kind of thing I hope she'll wear -- romantic, and beautiful.

This dress is 29976, Montage by Mon Cherie (brides.com)

I love this dress because it's sophisticated and pretty, simultaneously gorgeous and unpretentious. I like the sheen of the top and the dullness of the bottom, I like the drip effect and the flowy sleeves...

It is M578 Demetrios Evening (brides.com)

This is my favorite. Its asymmetry adds a contemporary feel, as do the contrasting directions of the tucks. However, it's also romantic in its length and in its overall look -- I love it. Muchly.

This dress is A7682, by Avanti Designs (brides.com)

I made a gorgeous spreadsheet (much of it blank...) of the things we need to get done before this shebang happens, too. These things need to be decided (date, time, locale) and announced (invitations, flowers, cake), and talked about (caterers, music, decor)...

I am excited!