"The Imperfectionists"

What I'm reading:

"The Imperfectionists." By Tom Rachman

I read the review in the Sunday New York Times book review section and thought this book sounded interesting. I immediately requested it at my branch library and got it in just about a week. I have learned to jump when I read a review of a book I think I might like. To beat the rush at the library.

The Imperfectionists is a small book. Easy to read. It is about the characters who make up a small English language newspaper in Rome, Italy.
Chapters read like short stories. About the intertwined lives of the men and women who produce the newspaper.

Tom Rachman on "The Imperfectionists" (from Amazon.com)

"To my amazement, a book emerged. I remain nearly incredulous that my plan, hatched over a decade ago, came together. At times, I walk to the bookshelf at my home in Italy, take down a copy of The Imperfectionists, double-check the name on the spine: Tom Rachman. Yes, I think that's me.

In the end, my travels included neither bullfights nor duels. And the book doesn't, either. Instead, it contains views over Paris, cocktails in Rome, street markets in Cairo; the ruckus of an old-style newsroom and the shuddering rise of technology; a foreign correspondent faking a news story, a media executive falling for the man she just fired. And did I mention a rather adorable if slobbery dog?"

Read this book You may like it.

Ah youth!

Do you remember your first pair of blue jeans?

I do.

I was 16 years old and a senior in high school. Of course back then girls were not allowed to wear pants of any kind to school. In fact women and girls simply did NOT wear pants. Shorts perhaps in the summertime but never to school work or down town. Dresses or skirts were the correct apparel.

Levi Strauss had begun making "ladies jeans" in 1934 for western wear but they had not yet arrived in the sleepy college town of Athens, Georgia.

When the jeans fad hit, my two girlfriends and I went downtown to a department store ( this was before the advent of malls) and bought boys jeans and rolled up the legs to the desired length. We thought we were hot stuff and a bit racy.

These jeans lasted forever, thru many,many washings.

Now I live in pants. Dress and casual. However jeans are not in my wardrobe anymore. As a woman of a certain age and SIZE, sad to say, I have "outgrown" jeans.

Ah youth!

I bet if I still had those jeans they would be worth a small fortune as antique denim has become a collectors item.

Suck It Up

SUCK IT UP:

Ronni Bennett of the blog "Time Goes By" is finishing the difficult job of packing up her apartment. She is moving to Portland Oregon next week. As in all things "Ronni" she is extremely organized and up to the task.

One possible hitch she has anticipated is the reaction of her Savannah Cat "Ollie" to the disruption of moving once again after just 4 years in Portland, Maine.

Ronni and Ollie will fly out to Oregon and Ronni has expressed reservations about how Ollie will cope with the flight and general interruption of his life.

Ronni said after thinking over what Ollie's reaction might be:

"Ollie will just have to SUCK IT UP"


Isn't that funny. And you can't herd a cat. :)

One reader suggested that Ronnie might want to "butter Ollie's paws" before the flight. Isn't that cute. And think about the phrase "Butter him up" I guess it means literally to "smear butter on a person" but no one does that actually. We just "sweet talk" someone to bring him around to our view.

Butter on Ollie's paws might just work after all. He can spend the entire flight licking it off