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A list of books I've read.....
Monday, December 29, 2003
"The Sweet Potato Queens' Big-Ass Cookbook (and Financial Planner)
by Jill Conner Browne
The third book about the Sweet Potato Queens. How to explain the SPQs? It's a girl thing, and very hysterical. I am definitely going to have to re-read the original book. And yes, this book does have some recipies--the SPQs four food groups are sugar, salt, fried and alcohol, so that gives you an idea of the recipies (lots of chocolate and bacon, though not together in the same dish).
A terrific quote in the book: "Well-behaved women rarely make history."__Laura Thatcher Ulrich AMEN!!
One recipie: New Allison's Mambo Margaritas, p. 256
"You pour in 1 big can of Limeade, then 1 bottle of Corona beer, 12 ounces of Seven-up (never Sprite), and 12 ounces of really good tequila. Do not attempt to mix this in a blender. You would think that this would be so obvious, wouldn't you, what with the beer and the Seven-up? But we have all done it. Blown the top off the blender and sprayed this sticky mess all over our respective kitchens. Trying to make 'em frozen, don't you know."
The third book about the Sweet Potato Queens. How to explain the SPQs? It's a girl thing, and very hysterical. I am definitely going to have to re-read the original book. And yes, this book does have some recipies--the SPQs four food groups are sugar, salt, fried and alcohol, so that gives you an idea of the recipies (lots of chocolate and bacon, though not together in the same dish).
A terrific quote in the book: "Well-behaved women rarely make history."__Laura Thatcher Ulrich AMEN!!
One recipie: New Allison's Mambo Margaritas, p. 256
"You pour in 1 big can of Limeade, then 1 bottle of Corona beer, 12 ounces of Seven-up (never Sprite), and 12 ounces of really good tequila. Do not attempt to mix this in a blender. You would think that this would be so obvious, wouldn't you, what with the beer and the Seven-up? But we have all done it. Blown the top off the blender and sprayed this sticky mess all over our respective kitchens. Trying to make 'em frozen, don't you know."
Saturday, December 27, 2003
Two New Reads
"The UnDutchables. An Observation of the Netherlands: Its Culture and Its Inhabitants" by Colin White and Laurie Boucke
A very amusing, tongue-in-cheek look at the Dutch and why they are the way they are. There are sections on public transport; driving; the Dutch home; money; national passions (discussion/debate, complaining); food; flowers; customs; Bikes and more. I had to laugh out loud a few times since there were some descriptions that fit a Dutchie that I know to a "T".
"25 Years of the Ironman Triathlon World Championships" by Bob Babbitt
Great photography and overview of the history of Ironman Hawaii. This book coupled with the book "Iron Will" by Mike Plant pretty much extensively covers Ironman from the beginning. If you are an Ironman fan, you should have both books.
A very amusing, tongue-in-cheek look at the Dutch and why they are the way they are. There are sections on public transport; driving; the Dutch home; money; national passions (discussion/debate, complaining); food; flowers; customs; Bikes and more. I had to laugh out loud a few times since there were some descriptions that fit a Dutchie that I know to a "T".
"25 Years of the Ironman Triathlon World Championships" by Bob Babbitt
Great photography and overview of the history of Ironman Hawaii. This book coupled with the book "Iron Will" by Mike Plant pretty much extensively covers Ironman from the beginning. If you are an Ironman fan, you should have both books.
Sunday, December 21, 2003
"The Rider" by Tim Krabbe'
Or, "De Renner", in Dutch. Translated from Dutch by Sam Garrett
This book was originally published in Holland back in the late 1970s and is a cult classic. It's the story of one day, one race and what happens during the race and what goes through the rider's mind during the race. The words rush by at breakneck pace when there is an attack, and then slow down and the rider remembers other days and other races at times when he is sitting in.
There are some great lines in this book and below are some of my favorites. I enjoyed this book a lot, especially as I am going to be doing some bike racing for the first time in January.
"The champions have better bikes, more expensive shoes, many more pairs of cycling shorts than we do, but they have the same roads."
"I ease up a little and shift back to the nineteen. Up on the pedals one more time, back in the saddle. 'OoOo!! OoOo!!' There's something struggling in my head, trying to punch my eyeballs out frmo the inside."
"In interviews with riders that I've read and in conversation I've had with them, the same thing always comes up: the best part was the suffering."
"I think [Charley] Gaul suffered the same way others did, but he enjoyed it more." "Gaul couldn't do without pain: pain was his motor."
This book was originally published in Holland back in the late 1970s and is a cult classic. It's the story of one day, one race and what happens during the race and what goes through the rider's mind during the race. The words rush by at breakneck pace when there is an attack, and then slow down and the rider remembers other days and other races at times when he is sitting in.
There are some great lines in this book and below are some of my favorites. I enjoyed this book a lot, especially as I am going to be doing some bike racing for the first time in January.
"The champions have better bikes, more expensive shoes, many more pairs of cycling shorts than we do, but they have the same roads."
"I ease up a little and shift back to the nineteen. Up on the pedals one more time, back in the saddle. 'OoOo!! OoOo!!' There's something struggling in my head, trying to punch my eyeballs out frmo the inside."
"In interviews with riders that I've read and in conversation I've had with them, the same thing always comes up: the best part was the suffering."
"I think [Charley] Gaul suffered the same way others did, but he enjoyed it more." "Gaul couldn't do without pain: pain was his motor."
Sunday, December 07, 2003
Hagakure--The book of the Samurai
by Yamamoto Tsunetomo, translated by William Scott Wilson
Written back in the late 1600s by a samurai. This translation is about 300 of the more 1,300 selections of the original Japanese text. Some of the things that struck me follow...
There is nothing so painful as regret.
Singlemindedness is all powerful.
"Negligence is an extreme thing."
"I do not know the way to defeat others, but the way to defeat myself." Throughout your life advance daily, becoming more skillful than yesterday, more skillful than today. This is never-ending.
By inconsistency and frivolity we stray from the Way and show ourselves to be beginners. In this we do much harm.
Confucius was not the only man to become unperplexed after reaching the age of forty. Upon reaching the age of forty, both wise and foolish have gone through an appropriate amount of experience and will no longer be perplexed.
What is called generosity is really compassion. In the Shin'ei it is written, "Seen from the eye of compassion, there is no one to be disliked."
There is surely nothing other than the single purpose of the present moment. A man's whole life is a succession of moment after moment. If one fully understands the present moment, there will be nothing else to do, and nothing else to pursue. Live being true to the single purpose of the moment.
Human life is a truly short affair. It is better to live doing the things that you like. It is foolish to live within this dream of a world seeing unpleasantness and doing only things that you do not like.
Written back in the late 1600s by a samurai. This translation is about 300 of the more 1,300 selections of the original Japanese text. Some of the things that struck me follow...
There is nothing so painful as regret.
Singlemindedness is all powerful.
"Negligence is an extreme thing."
"I do not know the way to defeat others, but the way to defeat myself." Throughout your life advance daily, becoming more skillful than yesterday, more skillful than today. This is never-ending.
By inconsistency and frivolity we stray from the Way and show ourselves to be beginners. In this we do much harm.
Confucius was not the only man to become unperplexed after reaching the age of forty. Upon reaching the age of forty, both wise and foolish have gone through an appropriate amount of experience and will no longer be perplexed.
What is called generosity is really compassion. In the Shin'ei it is written, "Seen from the eye of compassion, there is no one to be disliked."
There is surely nothing other than the single purpose of the present moment. A man's whole life is a succession of moment after moment. If one fully understands the present moment, there will be nothing else to do, and nothing else to pursue. Live being true to the single purpose of the moment.
Human life is a truly short affair. It is better to live doing the things that you like. It is foolish to live within this dream of a world seeing unpleasantness and doing only things that you do not like.
