Catching up...

Spring has definitely sprung (80's tomorrow finally) and my reading pace is picking up. For some reason I always read more in warm weather, maybe it has to do with my being a teacher and having summers off? Not sure that's it since I seem to be just as busy with activities in the summer as any other time. Anyway here's an update on some of my reading... as always check the entire list to the left.



Butcher's Hill by Laura Lippman; third and best so far in the Tess Monaghan in Baltimore series; when I was young I lived in D.C. for a year and a half. My dad took me to several Baltimore Orioles games, back when they were very good (Frank & Brooks Robinson, Jim Palmer etc) and playing in the old Memorial Stadium (right). Pictured above is Baltimore's "new" stadium: Oriole Park at Camden Yards which is one of the first "retro" stadiums built. I would very much like to see a game there.

The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane by Katherine Howe; liked this very much

The Cabinet of Curiosities by Douglas Preston; Agent Pendergast & The Museum of Natural History... very good

Smart is the new sexy?

God I hope so! I don't normally reflect much on my TV viewing habits... sports, favorite movies, and a few shows that I tend to watch over and over (Everybody Loves Raymond, NCIS) make up my television viewing. But the Big Bang Theory is one of the funniest (at least to me) shows on TV. I actually watch the current show on network TV which is something that I've NEVER done. I far prefer the daily repeats on USA or TBS. Granted I didn't actually START watching until season 3... but still.

What's the attraction? Physics for one. The main characters all work or teach in Caltech's department of physics. I teach high school physics. David Saltzberg, a real physicist, works as a consultant on the show and writes a blog discussing some of the actual physics that appears in each episode. Secondly, Kaley Cuoco. She's gorgeous, funny, & sweet. The very best scenes in the show are not between her and Leonard (her boyfriend), but between her and Sheldon. Finally, my son LOVES the show. My son is pretty smart, is kind of geeky, and I like that he can watch a popular show that says that it's ok to be smart and geeky.