So You Want To Be a Wizard - By Diane Duane

I just finished So You Want to Be a Wizard By Diane Duane. Its a pretty good read, aimed at the Tween Crowd (10 - 14 or so). I believe it even won a few awards, or at least thats what the cover proclaims. Its a pretty typical Modern Kids find Magic and save the world bit. This genre has grown hugely with the success of the Harry Potter Series, but this book was first, well at least before the hype.

It starts off with 13 year old Nita running away from a pack of bullies intent on beating her to a pulp. She runs into the library to hide and finds a book titles So You Want to Be a Wizard. She checks it out on a whim, and takes her first step into wizardry. Along the way, she meets Kit, another lonely kid with a book teaching him magic. Together, they find that they can do magic that they can't do alone. In search of a missing NASA pen that writes upside down, they summon a white hole who's curious about planets. Together, Fred, Kit, and Nina trek into an alternate planet where the great destroyer is intent on destroying the universe. Its up to them to find the Book of Night With Moon, and thwart the Destroyer.

I think I've been reading too many of these types of books. Its well written, aimed at kids, with a very distinct Good vs Bad Message. As typical with books like this, the parent figures are mostly out of the picture, and the kids have to figure everything out themselves. I think my biggest concern with the book is how easy Magic came to them, It took just a few days for them to be magic beginners to be fully fledged magicians. Also, there was no guidance from other older, experienced wizards. Everything they did came from a book. The ending also seemed a bit rushed, not the way the world was saved, but in the wrap up at the end.

So to wrap it up, its a well written book, and would be a good book to give to a young Harry Potter Fan who has read it all, or as introduction to the world of fantasy. I think adults will appreciate it, but not necessarily find it that great. I will not read this again, or any of the other books in the series, but I plan on giving it to my niece when she is older and will appreciate a good fantasy.

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On other news. Today is my Birthday I turn the big 30, although if you ask me, I'm 29, and will be forever. I have no plans, I was going to go shopping, but its so cold out, I'm not moving. I'll probably play World of Warcraft, read a book, and maybe cook something. I'm contemplating getting a WII as a birthday gift to me. A WII would be nice, but considering that its $250 and seems to be aimed at families, rather than single people, and that I would probably play it for a month, and then totally ignore it. I've convinced myself that I would be better off buying Mario Brothers for the Nintendo DS (Original Mario Brothers Rocks!) and keep more of my money longer.

And Roomba's Rock! My folks gave me one for my birthday last week, and it is so awesome! I just let it go, and it vacuums! It is a bit tempermental, for example, a Roomba running out of power will inevitably stop in the farthest corners under the bed. My Roomba is a bit jeolous of the cats- it keeps trying to eat the toys, and then it complains, and I have to Pull out a mangled Toy Mouse. Also, its suppose to be a time saver, and I suppose it would be, but I spend more time watching the Roomba work, than if I had just pulled out my vacuum cleaner. A high power, expensive vacuum cleaner will clean better than my Roomba, but I can run the roomba a few times a week, and have the same results, or better, because there is not that much dirt.

As soon as I get my camera back I will give you pics. In the meantime, here are some scanned pics of me (Because Its my birthday, as a kid!) Enjoy! Carrie
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Restless Kitty

Omnivores Dilemna

1) Copy this list into your blog or journal, including these instructions.
2) Bold all the items you’ve eaten.
3) Cross out any items that you would never consider eating.
4) Optional extra: Post a comment here at www.verygoodtaste.co.uk linking to your results.

The VGT Omnivore’s Hundred:

1. Venison (yum, venison)
2. Nettle tea
3. Huevos rancheros (Homemade, from a Betty Crocker Recipe)
4. Steak tartare
5. Crocodile
6. Black pudding
7. Cheese fondue
8. Carp
9. Borscht
10. Baba ghanoush
11. Calamari (Greek Restaurante)
12. Pho
13. PB&J sandwich (Had one for Supper Last Night)
14. Aloo gobi
15. Hot dog from a street cart (the best kind of hotdog there is!)
16. Epoisses
17. Black truffle
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes
19. Steamed pork buns
20. Pistachio ice cream
21. Heirloom tomatoes
22. Fresh wild berries (Field Work, Spent an hour, getting scratched up, eating raspberries, with a tape measure. Yum!)
23. Foie gras
24. Rice and beans (not my favorite)
25. Brawn, or head cheese
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper
27. Dulce de leche
28. Oysters
29. Baklava
30. Bagna cauda
31. Wasabi peas
32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl (clam chowder, but not in a sourdough bowl)
33. Salted lassi
34. Sauerkraut (No. Awful stuff. Will not try it. One of the few things I won't try)
35. Root beer float (Of course, and Orange Floats, and Raspberry Floats)
36. Cognac with a fat cigar
37. Clotted cream tea
38. Vodka jelly/Jell-O (Jello shots? Best use of Jello I can com up with)
39. Gumbo
40. Oxtail
41. Curried goat
42. Whole insects
43. Phaal
44. Goat’s milk
45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more
46. Fugu
47. Chicken tikka masala
48. Eel
49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut (there a bit over rated. I can get better doughnuts at the bakery)
50. Sea urchin
51. Prickly pear
52. Umeboshi
53. Abalone
54. Paneer
55. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal (No. Cheeseburger, Chicken Nuggets Meal, but Never a Big Mac)
56. Spaetzle
57. Dirty gin martini
58. Beer above 8% ABV (I'm sure I have - beer is good, but I just don't know!)
59. Poutine
60. Carob chips
61. S’mores (Campfire Favorites)
62. Sweetbreads
63. Kaolin
64. Currywurst
65. Durian
66. Frogs’ legs
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake (Fried Dough, covered in sugar and cinnamon, yum!)
68. Haggis
69. Fried plantain (Friend Banana, but not plantain)
70. Chitterlings, or andouillette
71. Gazpacho
72. Caviar and blini
73. Louche absinthe
74. Gjetost, or brunost
75. Roadkill
76. Baijiu
77. Hostess Fruit Pie
78. Snail
79. Lapsang souchong
80. Bellini
81. Tom yum
82. Eggs Benedict
83. Pocky
84. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant.
85. Kobe beef
86. Hare
87. Goulash
88. Flowers (Pansys are good - there is a seller at the Winona Farmers Market that would sell lettuce mix with Flowers.)
89. Horse
90. Criollo chocolate
91. Spam (Yup. Just wouldn't be Minnesotan If I didn't)
92. Soft shell crab
93. Rose harissa
94. Catfish (Blackened Catfish)
95. Mole poblano
96. Bagel and lox
97. Lobster Thermidor
98. Polenta
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee
100. Snake

And You Never thought it get below 4.00...

Found at the corner of Division and 22nd Ave, in St. Cloud, if you are interested :)

You Must Watch This!

More Pictures and Other News

I'm An Aunt! to a very cute little girl, Aubrey Rose. Born on July 1st. Which makes today her 5 day birthday :) Right now, she is sleeping a lot, but is very good at making faces such as the big yawn face, the stop tickling my feet face, the I'm hungry face with added noise feature, and the big stretch face. Mom and Baby are doing fine. Dad is a very proud, and yes, he changes diapers and is actually quite good at it.

So Here are more pictures, none of Little Aubrey since I haven't taken any yet, but you get to see my amazing dragonfly and dandelion pictures, well, I think they are amazing. The macro function on my camera is very cool, but I need to buy a little tripod.

Shoplifters will be Prosecuted...

... By Cute Cuddly Bears

Taken at Duebers while looking for Sixlets!