diaryofamadweblackey10

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January 3, 2011: We Hate You, Gary

We hate you, Gary, oh yes we do.

When you are with us, we're blue (and sick).

Oh, Gary, we hate you.

People, if you are sick, stay home from work. How dumb and selfish are you?

February 2, 2011 Happy Groundhog Day!

Our first blast of winter, and it sucks. However, Caryn and I watched The Parking Lot. It was hysterical, which matched the mood cabin fever promotes. Then we saw The Chumscrubber. And finally, for balance, I must work on the taxes.

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February 27, 2011: Pterodactyl Pond Scum!

We have had up to four fish ponds in our backyard, depending on Cary's gardening whim of the season. But this year (and our daffodils are already out so it's pretty much spring here in OKC) we only have one fish pond, and it is in trouble.

A week or ago so we had a 2" plus rainstorm. It was a major blessing in this parched land. However, the next morning, I noticed the water level in the pond was way down. We decided some kind of mini-flood had swept through the area and swooped up the water as the wind blew it away. Or something. Now, the water level has dropped again, and we are forced to consider the prospect of a leak we cannot find. Or a megagiant dog-taunting cat likes lapping up fish water. Or, most likely, a thirsty pterodactyl thinks she is on to a good thing chez Cary. And in this world of crises, having a pterodactyl in the neighborhood is not the worst news.

February 28, 2011: James Franco Cannot Marry My Daughter

Academy Awards. 'Nuff said.

April 29, 2011: The Princess Bride

Before the wedding of Will and Kate, most of us could only focus on what her dress might look like. The verdict today is positive, though I would have preferred embroidered silk to the lace, which is probably gorgeous up close, but didn't translate that well on my TV.

And now that the important stuff is out of the way, I would like to say the television commentary really brought home how much of a nerd I am. Someone on some channel said that if Princess Catherine ever became queen, she would be the sixth English queen of that name. And I immediately knew who the first five were:

Catherine of Valois - Perhaps the most important Catherine in English history, this one came from a colorful family. Her sister, Isabelle, was the second wife of Richard II of England, who was deposed by Catherine's father-in-law, Henry IV. Their father was Charles VI of France (Charles the Mad), who earned that nickname because he had long periods of mental instability where he thought, among other things, that he was made of glass. Mom was Isabeau of Bavaria. She has been condemned as blatantly unfaithful to her husband, but the English were trying to dis their son, the dauphin, who went on to be Joan of Arc's king, Charles VII. Catherine was married off to the short-lived Henry V of England as part of a peace settlement. They had a son, Henry VI, whose inherited mental instability led to Edward IV's successful attempt wrest the throne back to his branch of the family. In the meantime, Catherine married her second husband, the Welsh commoner Owen Tudor, which ultimately made them the great grandparents of Henry VIII. Don't worry. There won't be a test.
Catherine of Aragon - This Catherine's parents were the Catholic Kings, Los Reyes Católicos, Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain. They united Spain with their marriage, and in 1492, Isabella, as queen of Castile, sent Chris Columbus on his merry way and exiled thousands of Spanish Jews and Moslems, fleecing them of their property and frequently of their lives. Isabella, by the way, was a big fan of the Spanish Inquisition. After her death, Ferdinand branded his oldest daughter as Juana the Mad (she did tote her late husband's body from castle to castle) in order to claim the kingdom of Castile she had inherited from Isabella. Catherine herself was married off to Prince Arthur of England who died at 16. In order to keep her dowry, her father-in law, Henry VII, a notorious cheapskate, married catherine to his second son, Henry VIII. They had one surviving child, Bloody Mary. When Henry VIII's desire for a son coincided with his love for Anne Boleyn, Henry attempted to divorce Catherine. She never accepted this and died in exile.
Catherine Howard - Named, no doubt, for her predecessor, Catherine of Aragon, Catherine Howard, was Henry VIII's fifth queen. He was old and ill and she was young and stupid, so she cheated and was beheaded for it.
Katherine Parr - She was Henry VIII's sixth and last wife and was lucky to outlive him. Henry had begun to notice her religious beliefs were more Protestant than his and was considering an arrest warrant when he died. Katherine, now a widow for the third time, married the love of her life, Thomas Seymour, and soon died in childbirth while under the impression that Tom was romantically interested in the young Lady Elizabeth (afterwards Queen Elizabeth I) who was their ward.
Catherine of Braganza - The Merry Monarch, Charles II, had many children, but none with his wife, a Portuguese princess. He was always kind to her, but ...

May the former Miss Middleton have better life than those who came before her.

More info and my book recommendations: Legendary Women

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June 1, 2011: Irony

I stayed up late last night to finish The Moses Expedition, a thriller by Juan Gómez-Jurado. It has the most ironic ending of any work of fiction I've ever read. Enjoy.

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June 27, 2011: Thunder Up

I don't like to endorse products - especially after one use, but some products deserve it.

Several weeks ago, our Jill said she was going to buy a Thunder Shirt for Crazy Dog. Fresh from the NBA semifinals, we naturally thought she was going to get a team shirt to honor the Oklahoma City Thunder basketball team. Wrong. Jill ordered a Thundershirt (we tried to link and couldn't make it work) and it works!

Crazy Dog doesn't have a particular problem with thunder, but she picks on our big dog and very rarely starts potentially lethal fights. When we wrapped her in her new "shirt" (it's not a shirt but a wrap), she was very calm and clearly not aggressive. After five hours of canine contentment, we removed the Thundershirt. Crazy Dog immediately reverted to her own unbalanced self! I don't think she should wear the shirt all the time, but it sure beats pills and mother dog pheromone dispensers for cost and side effects.

August 15, 2011: Dog Gas

I don't keep up the book reviews on this site as well as I once did, but I was shocked (shocked) to find no mention of Colin Cotterill's wonderful mystery series featuring the national coroner of Laos that begins with The Coroner's Lunch. And now I can add Cotterill's new series set in rural Thailand. Wonderful reading. The Thai entertainment begins with Killed at the Whim of a Hat.

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Oh, and this entry's title refers to the unbearable smell coming from my wonderful canines as I type this.

August 21, 2011 September 11

I've been dreading the upcoming 10th anniversary of September 11. The terrorist morons will surely attempt something unspeakable. More importantly, we will relive the pain of that day - for me it's the ever-looping video of innocent victims jumping out of windows to escape the flames. But the heroes and victims and bereaved deserve our thought and prayers, and they will have them.

Today I read a book that attempts to throw some light on the evil of September 11 with a riveting story of World War II, Thomas H. Cook's The Quest for Anna Klein. Don't be put off by the slow opening. You will be want to finish this novel of suspense, love and devotion to one's cause.

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