Fiddleheads

The other night, I had the opportunity to sample a traditional Maine vegetable: the fiddlehead. Basically, it's a baby fern. But where eating baby cows gets you called cruel and inhuman, there's no such stigma against eating baby ferns. Mainers go out and pick these little things by the bagful, then steam 'em, sautee 'em, boil 'em, salt 'em--you name it. Sort of like the many uses of shrimp in Forrest Gump, but without the gumbo. Denisa tried sauteing them. How did they turn out? Well, TRC thought they were pretty bad, even when I tried to convince him he would be like a real dinosaur if he ate them. DC liked them, but she likes food in general. If you put a television in front of her and added a bit of salt, she'd probably have it polished off in a few minutes. Denisa liked them, but she likes anything green.

The real question you all want to be asking is what did I, Bryce, think of them.

I liked them. Tasted sort of like a lovechild of broccoli, brussels sprouts, asparagus and string beans, with some spinach genetics in there somewhere, too. In the end, it was sauteed in oil, and I added salt, so what's not to like? I'd eat them again, quite willingly. It's not often you find a vegetable that grows abundantly in the wild, which you can freely pick. Anyone ever come across a wild patch of broccoli? Maybe so--I don't get out in the wild often. :-)

In any case, if you have the chance, I heartily endorse the fiddlehead: Fit for Human Consumption.

Any non-Mainers out there ever try one?

Writing Group

I had my first writing group session in over two years last night, and it felt wonderful. Leaving Utah, one of the main things I was going to miss was the writing group. I'd been in one for years and years, and going without one wasn't something I was crazy about. But I thought I'd get by. I'd still send copies of my books out to friends, get critiques--that sort of thing. Writing group was just there to motivate me, right?

Wrong.

In the two years I've gone without it, I've discovered what else writing group does besides get you to write (something I don't need it to do--I write on my own). It gives you a support structure--other writers who do what you do and want what you want. People you can complain to when something goes wrong, or celebrate with when something goes well. People who give immediate feedback--who can reassure you that you're doing well, or remind you when you're off. It gives you some sort of accountability--a tangible audience that you can interact with.

Yes, writing groups can go wrong. They can bicker, they can become petty, then can drag you down. But when they go right, they are tremendously useful things for writers--and authors--to have. I'm extremely pleased to have one going again, even if it will take a chunk out of my already busy schedule.

To me, it's time well spent.

The Tooth Fairy

Last night, TRC lost his first tooth. It proved to be a much more involved experience than I was anticipating. He and I had played a rousing game of Heroscape in the afternoon (thanks for the tip, Dan--awesome game!), and it was time for him to head off to bed. I got him up there, and he noted that his tooth was extra wiggly. I tested it, and sure it enough--it was. (A bit of background: a week or two ago, Denisa noticed that TRC had a tooth broken through already behind one of his teeth. So we'd been hoping this tooth would come out sooner rather than later.) Anyway, I asked TRC if he wanted the tooth to come out, and he gave a resounding YES, so we headed downstairs to see what could be done.

In hindsight, I don't think the tooth was totally ready to come out. I mean, it was extra wiggly, but not super wiggly, if that makes sense. But Denisa and I tried various methods--wiggling it with our fingers, using string, and finally dental floss. The whole time, TRC gamely stood up to it all, just looking forward to having the tooth out (and no doubt to the monetary rewards the Tooth Fairy was sure to bring). Toward the end, he did break down a bit--I think it was hurting a bit more than he anticipated. But just when I was about to give up, Denisa gave it a tug and out it came.

Cue the blood.

I thought this would totally freak TRC out, but instead, he was overjoyed. I don't think I'll ever forget his expression: he was staring into the mirror, a huge smile on his face, eyes alight and blood dribbling down his chin, marveling that he had lost his tooth. I don't recall anyone ever looking more proud of himself than he did at that moment. He was so clearly pleased with himself and with how grown up he had just proved he was.

So there you have it. Something I thought would be run of the mill proved to be very memorable. I just hope this doesn't give him ideas about taking out the rest of his teeth anytime soon. Next time, I'm going to wait for them to get a fair bit more wiggly before I try to forcibly remove them.

Movie Review: The Last Starfighter

A bit ago, I decided to watch The Last Starfighter with TRC. This was another one of those "Movies I Grew Up With" flicks--one which I really fondly remembered, although I was apprehensive that I'd watch it and wonder what I was thinking when I had thought I liked it. What did I remember about it? That it had cool starfighter scenes and some cool aliens, and that it was awesome. So, did it live up to my memory?

I'm happy to say that it pretty much did.

The movie is pretty simple. Boy plays video game. Boy beats video game. Boy goes to space and beats aliens using techniques learned in that video game. So . . . pretty much every video game playing boy's dream (and very reminiscent of Ender's Game). There are some plot twists here and there, but for the most part, it runs pretty smoothly through the story. Was it the Best Movie Evar? No. But it was fun stuff, and I enjoyed watching it with TRC.

One thing that I had forgotten was how there were some intense scenes here and there in the film. A guy's face being wiped off. Another face looking like it had melted. Stuff that TRC and I certainly weren't prepared for. He did end up being more scared than I anticipated, but he still liked the movie. (Heck, he probably liked the movie MORE because of the scary scenes.) He still mentions it in conversation now and then, so I know it's stuck with him. Three stars.

Treasure Hunt

For TRC's birthday, I found myself in a bit of a dilemma. On the one hand, it looked like it was going to be the only day we could go out and about on an Expedition while my mom was up visiting for the weekend. On the other, I didn't want to do anything with him on his birthday that he didn't really want to do. For example, there was this antique store that Denisa and I had been wanting to visit, and some places downtown, and we had some errands to take care of . . . taking TRC out on a birthday trip that involved those, and still have him have a fun time . . . how to do it?

The solution was simple: treasure hunt.

The night before, I wrote a long poem, encompassing seven clues that would take us all over the area. The morning of his birthday, I printed out the poem, cut it into stanzas (clues), rolled them up, tied them, burned the edges and stuck them in my pocket. I gave him the first clue, and then we drove from place to place. At each place, we'd get out and search for the clue, and then after a bit, I would actually place the clue somewhere (during the search). TRC was amazed at how much prep time I'd done for this hunt. Of course, the treasure hunt wasn't just errands and antique stores. There was also a trip to an ice cream place, bowling, and a picnic. My favorite TRC quote of the day? "This is the best birthday I could imagine."

Not bad for a couple hours work of prep time, and definitely worth it.

Movie Review: Mr. Hobbs Takes a Vacation

The fam and I decided to watch a movie last night, and after some perusing on Netflix streaming, I settled on Mr. Hobbs Takes a Vacation. Jimmy Stewart, Maureen O'Hara, a vacation that goes horribly wrong--you can't miss right? For once, I was right. It really was a fun movie. Was it flawless? No. Some of the film really dragged--especially the first bit--but it all came together nicely in the end and really left a good feeling behind it, which a lot of movies these days can't do. The "Awful Vacation" category is a tried and true Hollywood vehicle these days, and they typically end up being a lot more rotten than the one Jimmy Stewart goes on in this movie (likely because with each film that comes out, the vacation has to be a bit more lousy to live up to expectations). However, that worked for me, probably because the movie remained realistic. There weren't many spots when I totally just gave up and thought "that couldn't happen." Instead, it seemed like a perfect storm for trouble, from the arguing relatives to the snobby boss who shows up. Better yet, TRC enjoyed it, too. So, wins all around. I give it three stars, and if you're wanting to watch some light fun, give it a shot. The soundtrack by Henry Mancini is an added plus in the movie's favor.

Update from TRC

As part of our family's goals, TRC is writing a journal four times a month. (That's the goal, anyway.) I thought I'd take a minute to fill you all in on some of his more noteworthy entries over the last while. (He dictates, I transcribe.)

February 28, 2010
Today is the last day of February. We get to hit the goal number generator, and if we get a high number, then we don't get much money. And if we get a low number, we get more money. And also if I have enough money, I might get a Bakugan, a toy or anything, so I can exchange some money for a toy, a Bakugan--anything that my dad has. Today we went to church. I learned that we will be resurrected, and that we will die, and after that we'll be resurrected. It's cool. Then I'll get to see my parents again, and when I'm dead and up in heaven, I'll get to see my friend that is a dog named Mya. She died a few months ago, and I really like her, because she isn't like dogs that are like rough house dogs. Those dogs . . . I don't like 'em, because they just lick me too much. I just do not like them. And they jump on me, try to do stuff that I don't like.

March 15, 2010
My mitten came unhooked at recess. I put both of them in my coat. I kept losing them. By the end of recess, I lost one. I couldn't find it. My friend Shaylynn thought she saw it on the bridge in the playground. I asked Mrs. Baxter if me and Shaylynn could go to the playground and look for it on the bridge. We couldn't find it. I went inside with my class. With 2 3rd graders, I looked in the lost and found. It wasn't there. Later, I went back to my classroom. Later in the day, Mrs. Baxter found my mitten. I don't know where she found it. That's the end.

March 27, 2010
Today--I mean yesterday--Dad restarted the World of Warcraft, and I am his pet death spider, and I am also a spirit, so I don't get hurt, but I'm an unparticular death spider spirit. I get hungry. I use poison, and I float around, and no one can see me. I also help attack things. I can turn into a egg, and I have resting spots, and I only have four feet. My name is Sharpclaw.

March 28, 2010
The next Sunday is General Conference and Easterrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!! And also on Friday, I get to hand in my Kelso wheel homework, and then I get to choose a prize from the Kelso prize box. Yee-hoo! Once upon a time, there was a king. He ate strawberries only, but when the cook cooked rice and beans, he commanded that the cook must cook strawberries every day, and when the cook made banana splits, the king commanded that the cook must make strawberry splits. So the cook did everything cooked with strawberries. One day the king died, and the other king only wanted bananas. So when the cook cooked strawberry splits, the king commanded that he must make banana splits. So the cook had to do everything back with bananas. Then that king died again, and then the other king only wanted carrots, so the cook made carrot splits. And so the cook made carrot dinners, carrots and rice, and then that king died, and then the other one . . . he just had ants in his pants. The end.

April 15, 2010
Today I have a adult tooth growing behind my real one. I am free to wiggle it. I can wiggle it and I can wiggle it. When it comes out, I am going to put it under my pillow and see if the Tooth Fairy comes. I might get a dollar. I might get a one dollar coin. I might get some pennies. I don't know what I might get. I might get a toy. I don't know.

April 17, 2010
Today I had a great day. I played in the snow and I made a snow groundhog. I made a fort, and this night I played ninja, and I had special tools, like a booby trap scanner, a pen sword which also is a gun (but I had to cancel that because I got a gun from the bad guys), and I fought a level 2,000 dragon, and I was just level 1, and also I added knives onto my fingers. I have a cape, and I have special ear protectors, and I also with my pen I can spray paint myself invisible. I had a great day. I got to eat batter, sugar, chocolate chips, and all on just one vacation day. What a great day!

Better Home and Garden

Big times at the Bryce household. Yesterday I busted out the lawn tractor (swapping places with the snow blower) and mowed my lawn for the first time this year. Worked great, and no flat tires, courtesy of the metal detector I used to get most of them out of my lawn a month ago. While I was out there, I actually helped Denisa with some landscaping--a rare event, indeed. We now have the start of a beautiful hedge growing in our front yard. Eleven bush thingies in all. (Yes, that's the technical term.) They're supposed to grow quite fast. It should be too too long before we have some privacy in our front yard. Nice.

In other news, our new futon arrived today, I'm told. It's being assembled even as we speak, which means we now have a place for guests to sleep when they come to visit. (DC's now in our former guest bed, of course.) Good thing I had decluttered the office/guest room a while ago, so there was actually space for them to put the thing in. It's nice to have projects come to a close, and to have hard work and effort pay off as you intended it to.

Speaking of hard work and effort, Ichabod is going out to another agent today--I sent a query yesterday, and less than an hour later, he responded with a partial request. It's nothing ground breaking, but every bit of good news is good news. This agent has a 7% rate of asking for partials based on queries received, so . . . hooray? We'll see what happens.

Book Reviews: Shades of Grey and Neverwhere

Shades of Grey: The Road to High Saffron by Jasper Fforde

My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This was an all out fascinating read. I'd read some of Fforde's Thursday Next series, which I enjoyed quite a bit, but for me, this one blew Thursday out of the water. It's a post-apocalyptic book that makes hardly any sense at all for the first thirty or forty pages. They you start to get a hang of the sort of world these people live in now, and it all starts making sense. The basics? People can each see one or two shades of color each. So a Red looking at an orange ball would just see the red in the ball, and a Yellow would just see the yellow. The society is divided by class. Purples are royalty, Yellows are the police, Greys (who can't see any color) are essentially slaves. But it's far more complex than that. Really, you have to read it to believe it. The post-apocalyptic plot isn't exactly mind-bending. But the world these characters live in and experience is what the real draw is--sort of like reading Flatland again. Better yet, the book is the first in a trilogy. I eagerly await the sequels.


Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman

My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Maybe I'm getting too easy on books these days, but I've been reading a real string of good ones. Gaiman's always a reliable author, of course (and there are other books I've started but given up on, which I don't review), but this one was a stand out for him. The book takes place in a bizarre underworld of London, one which coexists with the London we know, but which all of us normal people just don't perceive. A normal person from our world is thrust unwillingly into this other world, and he must learn how to navigate it successfully, or face the perilous consequences. I suppose that same plot has been used a thousand times, but the difference lies in how it's applied. In this case, Gaiman's characters are well crafted and believable, and the setting shines. I imagine if I knew London better, it would only increase the appeal of the book for me. I really enjoy books that completely transport you to another world, with its own set of values and beliefs and customs--this book does that extremely well.

View all my reviews >>

Back Again

Back home a day early. Long story short, I mistakenly booked myself to come home Wednesday instead of Thursday. You'd think after two masters degrees, I'd be able to tell the days of the week apart better. You'd be wrong.

Anyway.

I'm working on catching up with stuff I got behind on while I was gone, so you'll have to do without me for now. However, as a token to you, I'm going to provide you with a Cool Thing I Found Online Today. It's this music duo called Pomplamoose. Maybe everyone else has heard of them and I'm behind the times, but I just discovered them today, and I think they're the bee's knees. Basically, they do cool covers of music, using their own cool style. Cool. Here's a sample. Anyone who can start with Lady Gaga and end up with this gets my vote. Click over to Youtube to check out their other nifty covers, ranging from Beat It to La Vie En Rose. Awesomeness.

Some Observations from My Conference

I've been at this conference for seven hours now. Some of my thoughts are as follows:

• When hosting a COMPUTERS in Libraries conference, the hosting hotel really ought to make sure that its wireless network is robust enough to handle 1500 librarians all trying to get online at once. I keep getting bumped off the network, and that's an easy way to make Bryce a very disgruntled boy.
• Some librarians seem to me to be a little too set on "bucking the stereotype" when it comes to librarians. I mean, I'm all for not having your hair in a bun and wearing glasses and shushing people left and right, but I don't think I've ever seen as many piercings in a group of librarians before. (Now, what I think would be tres cool is if there were some here who combined those--a dyed bun, perhaps, with glasses featuring skulls, and enough piercings to set off a metal detector from space.)
• When hosting a lunch to tell people about your new product, try to organize things well enough so that the people you're trying to wine and dine don't end up feeling like they're being herded like cattle.
• When the program states a panel will teach you something new about searching, be more skeptical. Different web sites doth not new search approaches make.
• The freebies at a Computers in Libraries conference exhibit hall aren't nearly as cool as the freebies at an ALA exhibit hall. Sad, but true. I wanted lasers. Was that too much to ask?

In any case, "coffee break" is over--time to head back to a panel.

Washington, D.C.

I'm going to a conference next week down in Washington D.C. Leaving Sunday, and I'll be back Thursday. I imagine I'll have internet while I'm there (It's the "Computers in Libraries" conference, after all . . .), but I have no idea how much time I'll have to be posting to the blog. If I appear a tad scarce over the next week, please don't take it personally. :-) Also, if you are a FWLIDC (Friend Who Lives in D.C.) and would like to get together with me for lunch or dinner or something, drop me a line.

In other news, I'm wicked busy here today as I try to get everything in order before my trip. The fact that the staff color printer decided to be really difficult today didn't help anything. Happy Friday, everyone. I'll be playing basketball again tonight. Hoping I can breathe a bit better than I did last month when I played. :-)

A Plea for Donors

Hi.

My name is Bryce.

And I don't have an iPad.

I'd like an iPad, but I can't afford it.

That's where you come in, Internet. People are always saying you're so influential. You help people out all the time--just look what you did for Susan Boyle. She's got a gahzillion dollars now, and she owes it all to you.

I'm not asking for a gahzillion dollars. (Though I wouldn't turn it down if you offered . . .) No. I'm just asking for an iPad. I'd even settle for the cheap $499 version. I'm nice like that, see? I'm willing to compromise.

All you need to do is make it happen. I'll be really excited. I'll even thank you publicly. You're like the Santa Claus of the 21st Century, so consider this my letter to you, O great and powerful Internet. I have been a very good boy this year, and all I want in return is for you to fork over an iPad.

Is that too much to ask?

High School Music

I don't have a ton of time today, but I wanted to mention some thoughts that came to mind last night. Denisa and I took the kids out to a concert at our local high school. Four groups performed: the jazz band, a fiddle group, an a capella group, and a womens chorus. First of all, if any of my faithful readers out there were in any of the groups (I knew three or four people in them), allow me to say you did a fantastic job. I was really interested to see just how good the music program in my school district was, and I'm very happy to report that it's strong. Second, sitting there in the audience really made me think back on my days in band. For those of you who don't know, I played bassoon (oboe first, but then bassoon) in orchestra and symphonic band (and county band), as well as tenor sax and bari sax in marching band, Dixie band and pit orchestra (for The Pajama Game). Music was a big part of my school experience. The crazy thing about last night, was I was looking at the teens performing, and I could remember being up there performing myself--really clearly. It didn't seem like that long ago, which you'd figure it would.

I loved band. I think it did wonders for me academically and socially. In high school, many of my friends were friends I found through music. Of course, in today's awful budgetary situation, a lot of music programs find themselves in jeopardy, which is disappointing. How many football programs find themselves in the same state? (And honestly, which does more for you long term--band or football? Being a band-geek, I clearly have my opinions. Any . . . football nerds(?) want to make an argument for why stuffing band geeks in lockers is vital to your academic high school success?) I'm not saying music programs shouldn't feel the blow of budget cuts, but I do think that blow needs to be felt throughout a school--not just in less popular areas.

Anyway--that's all I have time for now. If there are questions or comments, I might write more when I have a sec.

A Tribute to Denisa

Well, the time has come. March Madness is over, and it's time to take stock of how my blog bracket did this year. I'm pleased to say that I had the best participation ever: 8 people filled out brackets, including myself. What were the final standings?

8th--Sabrina
7th--Kevin (Not your year this go 'round. My condolences.)
6th--My brother, Joel
5th--Whitley, a friend from the mission
4th--Steve, a cousin
3rd--Ted, another cousin
2nd--ME

And in first place, none other than . . . my wife. That's right, folks--we ended up the big 1-2 in all brackets we both participated in. It helped that we both went with Duke.

As promised at the beginning of all of this, I owe Denisa one free copy of Cavern of Babel. I think we've got one kicking around the house somewhere. :-) In addition to that, I owe her a tribute on my blog. I believe the exact words were "me devoting an entire blog entry to saying just how great of a person you are." Of course, faithful readers will note I've taken many opportunities to say just how great Denisa is, and one might wonder if I had anything left to say. Of course I do. I hereby present you with:

WAYS MY WIFE IS BETTER THAN ME

1. She is a far more kind and caring person than I am. It's true.

2. Without her, I would probably be a morbidly obese video game playing slob living in a trailer park somewhere, addicted to government cheese. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but it's due to her that I actually eat anything resembling fruit or vegetables, and that I don't eat as much salt as I'd like to.

3. She's much better looking than me, and I'm not afraid to admit it. If I had to choose between kissing me and kissing her, I'd take her every time. :-)

4. She speaks 6 languages.

5. She makes a mean loaf of bread.

6. She wastes far less time than I do. Movies? Television? She's rarely seen watching either without having something Constructive to do in her hands.

7. She plays board games with me, even when she doesn't want to. I, on the other hand, have been dancing with her about five times, skiing about the same, and ice skating only once. (Twice?)

8. She handles airplane rides much much MUCH better than I do. Of course, so does pretty much anyone on the face of the earth. BA Baracus handles flying better than I do. A rabid cocker spaniel would handle air travel better. But Denisa doesn't just handle it--she takes care of the kids, too.

9. She is much more observant of Important Dates. Got a birthday or a Significant Event in your life? Chances are, I forgot it. If I didn't, don't thank me--thank her for reminding me.

10. Last but not least, she's clearly better at picking teams who will win March Madness. And I'm not afraid to admit that.

In any case, well played, Denisa. Way to win one for the family. Till next year, folks!

Astronomy

This past Friday, I took TRC out to our university's observatory, where the first Friday of every month, an astronomy professor takes whoever shows up on a tour of the night sky, using the university's pretty darn nice telescope. All of this, free of charge? Sign me up. It was a tad brisk outside that night--we were glad we wore our coats--but the sky was clear and we saw quite the show. Nebulae, galaxies, globular clusters (which sounds like a candy bar), binary stars, Mars, and our personal favorite: Saturn (and two of its moons!). This was the first time I'd been able to look through a telescope and see the rings, and it was quite the experience. TRC had a blast, oohing and ahing through the whole thing. He really got into it, which only made my time that much more enjoyable.

For anyone interested in a fun, free, educational evening, check the forecast for the first Friday each month. If it's clear, the tour is on! I'm definitely planning on going again to check it out.

What I'm Going to Do with My Weekend

It's General Conference weekend, which means that there will be ten hours of speeches by Mormon leaders on a variety of religious topics. This happens twice a year (once in April, once in October). It's broken up into five 2 hour meetings. Back when I was growing up, you had to go to a Mormon meeting house to watch these. Now, it's on BYUTV on most satellite packages, and it's also online here, with video in English, Portuguese, ASL, French and Spanish, and audio streams in 68 languages. Let me say that again--live audio in 68 languages. In total, the proceedings will be translated into 94 languages--everything from Navajo to Samoan to Swedish to Thai.

When we lived in Utah, DKC used to translate for the Slovaks. She'd go up to a conference session, and there'd be all these people specializing in all sorts of languages, scurrying around getting prepared for what was in store. I don't know of many events that have such a broad translation effort, all aimed solely at recreating the original message, not trying to analyze it. I find it inspiring that people from across the world can gather to listen to the same uplifting messages, coming from so many different cultural backgrounds but still believing the same thing.

Anyway. Ten hours of meetings is a lot of meetings, any which way you slice it--even if they're mindblowingly inspirational. So what will I do? I typically line up some things to do so I can keep my hands occupied. I've been known to make chain mail, do counted cross stitch, and (my current favorite) declutter. (It's amazing how much stuff you can clean when you have so much time to devote to it.) Of course, it's also tricky to keep TRC and DC occupied during the time, as well. Thankfully, all talks are transcribed and put online (and published in the Church's monthly magazine, The Ensign. If I miss anything, I can always reread it.

How about you all? What will you be doing this fine Easter weekend?

Movie Review: The Soloist

Sometimes a movie tries to do to much. Tries to be bigger than it really should be. The Soloist is an excellent example of this. On the surface, it should be great. Jamie Foxx and Robert Downey, Jr.? Great, right? Wrong. The movie about a mentally imbalanced celloist and the reporter who discovers him and brings him to the attention of a city ends up feeling pretentious and too darn long. It's almost 2 hours, and it maybe had an hour and a half of good material in there. Perhaps if they'd gone for shorter, it would have worked better. The biggest problem is that it just tried to throw too much in there: personal conflicts, a message about the homeless, multiple character arcs, bits about newspaper writing--everything but the kitchen sink. Flooded by all those Messages, they all sort of canceled each other out. It wasn't a bad movie, but it wasn't a good one, either. Two stars, but not really worth your time.