I'm sooooo tiiiired.... my eyes have become raisins.

I really need to live close to work. The thought of rolling out of bed and driving to work in the span of 10 minutes is very appearling.

As a kid, I was a bookworm. You could always find me at the dinner table, book in one hand and fork in the other shoveling food in my mouth. I had mastered the art of eating and reading simultaneously. For some reason as I get older, I think about how I was as a kid and how I can raise my future kids to not just do well in school, but also love learning.  Most kids who excel in school are voracious readers.

As many books as I read when I was in school, I missed out on a lot of the classics. You'd think I would have read them cover to cover, but alas I either didn't read them or made valiant attempts to read them and failed (i.e. stopped after a few pages or a chapter). Another sad thing is that I can't really remember what some books were about. For example, I've read books like Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights, Ethan Frome,... but I honestly have only a vague idea as to what they were all about. It's sad-- if I can't remember what it was about, then is it really any use to read it in the first place?  That's why it amazes me that one of my nieces can remember in great detail everything she's read (and believe me, she has read A LOT of books).  One time we were at her house for dinner, and she'd just seen the movie Troy.  She went into this long discussion with her dad comparing and contrasting the book to the movie, even whipping out the book for reference.  Wow!

Anyhow, I do at least remember some books. Here are a few I recommend (I should start The Clee Book Club. Take that, Oprah!!):
Watership Down
The Phantom Tollbooth
Matilda
The Witches
Sense and Sensibility
The Kitchen God's Wife  (or anything by Amy Tan)
Ten Thousand Sorrows
A Walk To Remember (much more poignant than the movie)
Girl, Interrupted

My new photo blog! Check it out: http://cleesbrain.blogspot.com. Picasa rocks.

I got a new bed! yay for me, and yay for costco!
 
:-)
 

I love it when journalists of a big time newspaper are kind enough to reply back to readers' email. Check out the most recent posting in the Opinion section where Steve Chapman, a journalist for the Chicago Tribune, replies to my email.

I've also received quick responses from Elliott Almond of the SJ Mercury. He wrote an article about figure skater Naomi Nari Nam back in 1999 when she won the silver medal at Nationals. In his article, he had noted that Alexei Yagudin was the '98 Olympic champion and I quickly shot off an email to correct him (Ilia Kulik holds that title- Alexei Yagudin won in 2002). He replied to me soon after, with some very kind comments. Every other time I've emailed him, he's always replied. Maybe it's just the journalists who cover figure skating who are kind enough to respond?

Someone just cut the cheese. NICKEY!!!! Whenever he's chewing on a pig ear, he decides to let out some gas. Alright, I'm off to find some fresh air. What a stinker!!!

Btw Nickey is 13.5 pounds!!! 2 weeks ago, he was 12.5. He's growing so fast!

Happy Birthday America!

Any birthday celebration calls for some cake. So I'm off to find some. But I think a lot of stores are closed today.... or are they not?