Wasted Continuum

Michael Crichton passed away Tuesday at the age of 66 after battling cancer. I got the news about it Wednesday morning over twitter. At first, I was bummed out because Crichton is my favorite author. However, as the day went on, I started remember what his writing meant to me. Michael Crichton is the author that made me want to read for fun. The first book I read of his was Jurassic Park. I just remember how much I loved his writing style because not only was his narrative engaging, but his books were very science-heavy with charts and graphs. Being the geek that I am, I loved that. He always did a ton of research for his books. Whether or not his science-fiction were feasible in real life was irrelevant because Crichton was able to convince you that it was. After Jurassic Park, I read as many of his books as I can. I even read his non-fiction books like Five Patients and Travels. I loved them all.

I remember, throughout highschool, I’d be reading during class when I didn’t feel the need to pay attention. During the summers when I worked at my parents’ restaurant, I would read his novels before we opened. I can’t count how many times his books have kept me company at my huge family dinners at various restaurants. I would sneak in a few pages in the intervals between the serving of each dish. Some time during my highschool years, I picked up Sphere. It’s a story about a science crew sent down to the depths of the ocean to explore what they think may be an alien structure. It’s a psychological thriller that keeps to guessing until the end. It is, to this day, my favorite novel by Michael Crichton. I have read it at least three times now.

It’s just weird to think of all those hours I’ve spent in the worlds that he built. I didn’t think it would end so soon. Supposedly, there is one more book that was going to be released at the end of this year and may still be released early next year. I really hope that is true. It would be great to have one more journey with him. Either way, I am happy that I have read so many of his stories. I will miss him.

Tonight I went to see David Sedaris, one of my favorite authors, read at the State Theater. It was amazing. I have read every one of his books including his latest, When You Are Engulfed in Flames. The stories he read today were much longer than his usual choices. I think he only read three full stories plus some entries from his diary. There was one point where I laughed so hard, I was literally tearing up and my stomach was starting to hurt. It was a story about his book tour and his trip to a local CostCo with his brother-in-law.

During his book tours, he usually recommends a book to the audience. This time around, he suggested The Braindead Megaphone by George Saunders. He read an excerpt from it and I think I may need to give it a try. If David Sedaris comes to your city for a reading, do yourself a favor and go see him. His stories are a breath of fresh air (heavily sarcastic, fresh air). You won’t regret. If anything, you should pick up one of his books. My personal favorite is Me Talk Pretty One Day. It was the first book I read by him.

Upcoming apperances

Today, I met Mignon Fogarty, one of my favorite podcasters. She is more commonly known as Grammar Girl in which she does a podcasts that gives a grammar tip in a fun and informative manner in every episode. I was introduced to her work on Absolute Science, her podcast about science. Being complete nerd when it comes to science, I quickly digested all the past episodes. Sadly, at the time that I started listening to Absolute Science was also when the show was nearing its end. Because I loved that podcast so much I wanted to give Grammar Girl a try too. Not surprisingly, I was hooked on it rather quickly.

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I finally got around to trying my hand at baking something complex. I did make some mini-financiers au miel earlier this year, but those where kind of simple. Tonight was the third time baking in all the years I’ve been in the kitchen. All three times happened this year. Today made a chocolate and zucchini cake. The recipe is from the aptly named book, Chocolate and Zucchini: Daily Adventures in a Parisian Kitchen, by Clotilde Dusoulier. I bought the book a while back when it was on one of the end of the shelf displays at Border’s.

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David Sedaris, one of my favorite authors, is coming out with a new book on June 3 called When You Are Engulfed in Flames. This is actually the second time it changed titles. The other two titles were Indefinite Leave to Remain and All the Beauty You Will Ever Need. The second title, All the Beauty You Will Ever Need, was one of my favorite essays that he read live when I saw him at the State Theater last October. I believe that was the first story that he read. It was hilarious and had the sweetest and most touching ending. I really wish that the story is in there. I’ll be getting it as soon as it comes out in stores. You can preorder it now at Amazon.

I originally wanted to test out a dessert experiement for my mom today, since she’s the big chef of the family. She ended up asking me to cook a full dinner. I ended up preparing a three course meal. It was very last minute. I planned the meal Saturday night after Katelyn’s second birthday. Continue Reading »